Innovative solar fence protects village from jumbos
Alipurduar: The Panbari Forest Protection Committee (FPC) has ingeniously safeguarded their entire village by installing a hanging solar fence about four kilometers long within the Buxa Tiger Reserve, effectively preventing elephants from entering. Their innovative efforts were recognised with a state award during ‘Van Mahotsav’.
Panbari, nestled in the East Rajabhatkhawa Range of the Tiger Project, is a community of 1,000 residents, all dedicated to agriculture. Previously, the village faced daily raids by wild elephants, causing significant damage to crops and homes, leaving villagers feeling helpless. The current FPC president, Sujit Sarkar, envisioned a solution — hanging solar power fences. He proposed this idea to the top forest officials of Buxa Tiger Reserve, who approved it. The FPC members, without any contractor’s assistance, completed the project three months ago.
Sujit Sarkar explained: “We saved the money received by the FPC committee over the last six years, accumulating around Rs 12 lakh. Using this fund, we built a fence stretching from Panbari Dhamsi Dam to Lowerdangi. It took about three months. Wild elephants were our biggest problem. In the last three months, there hasn’t been a single wild animal attack in the village. We are thrilled.
A traditional electric fence can be destroyed by an elephant with one blow, but this two-layer fence, with iron electric poles placed strategically, is different. Elephants get stopped in one layer of wire and don’t dare to cross the entire fence. For the past three months, we’ve watched elephants approach the fence and then return to the forest.”
Top officials of the Buxa Tiger Reserve, including Field Director Apurba Sen, congratulated the Panbari FPC Committee. Noor Islam, current range officer of Rajabhatkhawa, added: “I am delighted by Panbari’s success. The work began during my tenure in that area. Hopefully, the human-elephant conflict will diminish significantly.”
Inspired by Panbari’s success, several FPC committees have contacted Sujit. Many are planning to install similar solar hanging fences near their forest villages, following Panbari’s pioneering example.
