Farmers learning new methods to deter monkeys

By Our Correspondent Ilam, July 17: The farmers of Ilam, who are tired of protecting maize from monkeys in the field all day, have started making and using devices to repel the apes.

After the success of the new technology in Ward 5 of Ilam Municipality, the farmers of other wards of have also started making and using the same technology.

Ilam Municipality-6 and 8 have trained 30 farmers in their wards and transferred the skills of monkey repelling techniques. On Friday, these wards gave training on how to make a device to repel monkeys and taught them how to make and use it.

Ghanendra Bhattarai, a resident of Ilam Municipality-5, said that they were successful in repelling monkeys in Ilam by using the technology which was used to repel elephants in Jhapa and the technology kept in the National Innovation Centre by Mahabir Pun.

"There was also a successful experiment in Jhapa to repel elephants, we learned it and used it to repel monkeys in Ward 5. After its success, we are also teaching farmers in other wards to make and use this device," he said.

Bhattarai said, "This device can be made by using pipes, carbonate chemicals and water. To make this monkey repellent device, PVC pipes of 110 mm and 75 mm are connected and the gas produced by mixing carbonate and water chemicals is burned with the use of a gas lighter and creates a loud noise."

Technician Bhattarai said that this sound, which is heard in up to 20 metres, hurts the eardrums of the monkeys and the monkeys run away. He said that people should also protect their ears while using this technology.

Madan Shrestha, Chairman of Ward 6, said that the ward office has started distributing the device by making it from the budget allocation for agriculture as it costs from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 2,500 to make the device. "After the monkeys have damaged ripe maize, other crops and vegetables, the farmers are panicky, so we have started giving options to the farmers to get rid of the monkeys," he said.

Shrestha said, "After successfully repelling monkeys using this technology in Ward 5, we also brought technicians and trained the farmers about this technique."

Krishna Ghimire of Kanyam Siddhigaon said that he was panicked by the monkeys and wild boars.

Many farmers like Ghimire have lost their sleep when crops like maize,  vegetables, fruits, potatoes, cardamom are destroyed by monkeys and wild boars.

"We are spending the whole day trying to repel the monkeys, but at night the wild boars destroy everything." Ghimire said.

The farmers are facing more problems after the monkeys eat not only the grain crops, vegetables and fruits but also the Amliso leaves.

Farmers said that there is a situation to migrate due to the cause of monkeys and wild animals at the local level, 

including Suryodaya Municipality, Ilam Municipality,  Deumai Municipality,  Maijogmai Rural Municipality and Sandakpur Rural Municipality.