Bijni: Villagers disappointed as poor-quality electric fences fail to curb elephant threat

Bijni, Dec 4: The pachyderms frequent the Indo-Bhutan border areas of Bijni in Chirang district of Assam, and the human-elephant conflict has been a long-standing issue in the area as many people have been killed and crops and properties damaged in the attack of wild elephants who venture out from Manas National Park in search of sustenance.

According to sources, the residents urged authorities to devise a solution for the human-elephant conflict and requested the installation of electric fences to ward off elephants. Responding to the demands of the public, a total of 25 km of solar-powered electric fence was erected at a cost of approximately Rs 2 crore from Hakuwa River to Bishnupur along the Manas National Park.

However, the villagers claimed that the contractor's work was of poor quality, rendering the fence ineffective as it could be easily touched with bare hands due to low-capacity batteries and transmitters. Additionally, the wires deteriorated even before the construction of the fence was completed. Despite repeated requests, the installed fencing proved futile, prompting locals to urge the BTR government to address the matter urgently for a more robust solution.

“After repeated requests, we got the fencing for the elephants done, but it’s not up to the mark. Although we thank the BTR government for doing the fencing work, it has to be strong enough, so we request the government take up the matter on a priority basis,” a local resident said.

The escalation of human-elephant conflicts in Assam is a consequence of diminishing habitats, urbanisation, and a growing human population. This results in detrimental encounters such as crop and property damage, loss of human lives, retaliatory killings, and poaching. The primary victims are impoverished farmers and villagers, whose lives and crops are in jeopardy.

To address the human-elephant conflict, the implementation of solar-powered electric fences has proven to be an efficient method in deterring wild elephants in certain forest-edge regions. In this set up, steel wires are hung in rows, which are supported by posts on both ends. The wires are connected to a solar power system and elephants receive a mild shock if they try crossing through the hanging wires.