Assam: Solar fences for HEC mitigation energized at HEC-hit villages
Guwahati: Two different community managed solar fences meant for HEC-mitigation were energized and handed over to the community recently at Narayanpara and Puthimari village under Goalpara Forest Division in Assam.
Both the fences were implemented by Aaranyak in collaboration with Forest Department, Assam.
In the Narayanpara, the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) of Goalpara Subimal Kundu cut the ribbon to ceremonially inaugurate the 1.5 km-long solar fence and hand over to the local community on January 5.
Later, an MoU was signed by the local community, Aaranyak and Forest Department for seamless management and operation of the solar fence that will protect around 50 households from depredation by wild elephants and will help reduce human-elephant conflict (HEC) in that village.
A local village head man presided the meeting. The local fence committee felicitated Aaranyak and Forest officials to express their gratitude.
Aaranyak team comprising Anjan Baruah, Swapan Das, Ripunjoy Nath took part in the programme.
The forest officials of Krishnai Forest Range including Taijuddin Ahmed, Dy Ranger, Jagadish Barman, Forester 1, Pradyut Baruah, Dipjyoti Das etc., participated the programme.
Tejas Moriswami, DFO, Goalpara Forest Division, also inaugurated another community-managed solar fence of 2.2km length in Puthimari.
After signing an MoU among the local community, forest department and Aaranyak, the fence was handed over to the community.
This fence will protect around 100 households and expected to mitigate the HEC.
Anada Barman, District Secretary of VDP, Goalpara district presided over the meeting.
The DFO, Goalpara during his speech said the fence would secure the lives of the villagers as it would mitigate the HEC in the village.
He said that the partnership between Forest Department, Aaranyak and local community could control the HEC in that area if all the stakeholders came forward in one platform.
Aaranyak’s senior official Anjan Baruah maintained the importance of maintenance and care required for the fence to efficiently secure the lives of the villagers for a long term.
During the meeting, ACF and Ranger in-charge of Krishnai Range Subimal Kundu, Range Officer of Lakhipur Range Dhruba Dutta, Range Officer of Goalpara Range Sashi Mohan Singha, Dy Ranger Taijuddin Ahmed, Forester Jagdish Barman of Krishnai range participated.
From Aaranyak team, Swapan Das and Ripunjoy Nath also took active part.
DFO also felicitated forest staff of Krishnai Range, Dipjyoti Das for his performance during the fence installation work along with Aaranyak’s staff.