US-based NGO extends support to mitigate man-elephant conflict in State (Kerala)
US-based NGO extends support to mitigate man-elephant conflict in State
(Kerala)
Dhinesh Kallungal, The Hindu
January 22, 2023
Even as the State has been finding it difficult to cope with the rising
man-animal conflicts, a US-based NGO- Voice for Asian Elephants Society
(VFAES)- has approached the State government with a solution to mitigate
the impact of the man-elephant conflict in Kerala. The agency which piloted
elephant-friendly fencing in West Bengal has extended support to the State
to protect its vulnerable regions by fencing, and installing elephant
sensors (EleSense) along treacherous rail routes that cut through the
reserve forest to avoid accidents involving elephants.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sangita Iyer, founder of VFAES, who reached
Thiruvananthapuram to meet the government representative here on Saturday,
said electrocution of elephants and accidental death of tuskers on railway
lines is one of the greatest threats faced by endangered elephants across
India. “In West Bengal, we have launched the first phase of the project in
Jalpaiguri district where we installed a 4-km fencing surrounding the
farmland and homes in early 2022 with the support of government there.”
Though the tuskers are smart enough to bypass the traditional electric
fencing by lifting the fence by its tusks which are non-conductors of
electricity or destroying the fence by forcing trees on them, this flexible
solar fencing will bounce back to its normal position each time when it is
pulled or stretched and passes millisecond long zaps to the trunks of
jumbos to scare them away. The entire cost of the project was borne by
society.
It has also installed around 40 pairs of EleSense along a long stretch near
a tea plantation that falls under the Northern Frontier Railway, Jalpaiguri
Division of the West Bengal Forest Department, where elephants frequently
move. The project fully funded by the Society uses innovative technology.
The sensor-based early warning system is designed with siren, light and
GPS/GSM modules by local tech experts familiar with the landscape.
The early warning sensor system alerts train drivers of elephant presence
while alerting elephants too, helping prevent collisions and deaths on
tracks. The sensor detects elephant presence up to 500 meters and triggers
an alarm, and sends out an SMS message to the forest and railway
authorities, which will be transmitted to the loco pilots giving them
enough time to stop the train. The alarm system is also resistant to damage
from the elements. “Both the system have yielded results and the society is
looking for collaboration with various State governments. The discussion
held with the Kerala Forest and Wildlife department secretary was fruitful
and now we are looking for how this can be worked out in Kerala,” said Ms.
Iyer.