Guwahati, August 30, 2024 — Farmers in Gosaihat village near Mirza, Assam, are celebrating a remarkable improvement in their paddy harvests, thanks to a low-cost solar fence installed in November 2023. The fence, which spans three hectares of cropland, has proven to be a game-changer by effectively protecting the area from wild elephant depredation.
Supported by conservation organizations Aaranyak and WWF, with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the community-managed project has shown outstanding results. Last season, farmers were able to harvest 90% of their crops, a significant increase from previous years when elephant herds routinely destroyed their fields.
Anjan Baruah, an official from Aaranyak and an expert in solar fence technology, emphasized the dramatic impact: “Previously, farmers could hardly harvest anything due to wild elephant attacks. The introduction of this fence has transformed their livelihoods.”
Buoyed by this success, the farmers decided to expand the fence’s coverage. In August 2024, they reinstalled the fence to protect an additional 10 hectares of previously unused land. Sukleswar Boro, a local farmer who stores the equipment between seasons, highlighted the community’s growing confidence in this innovative solution.
The fence design is particularly noteworthy for its consideration of wildlife movement. It includes gaps to allow elephants to pass through, promoting coexistence between the animals and the local farmers. This balance between protection and coexistence is seen as a key to the project’s success.
As the new harvest season approaches, farmers are optimistic about achieving a 100% crop yield, a far cry from the near-total losses they faced before the fence’s installation. This low-cost, sustainable solution not only enhances agricultural productivity but also fosters a more harmonious relationship between local communities and wild elephants, offering a promising model for addressing human-wildlife conflict in agricultural regions.
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