‘Mobile fencing’ in Bahundangi to protect crops from elephants

By Bishnu Prasad Pokharel,Damak, Sept. 7: The ‘Mobile Fencing’ project has been successfully tested in Ward No. 1 and 4 of Bahudangi in Mechinagar Municipality of Jhapa.

Locals of the area have been suffering damage because of the wild elephants for years. 

The 5 km long mobile fencing is installed across 500 bighas of land. 

Arjun Karki, Ward chairperson of Ward No. 4, said that the mobile fencing was installed in the financial support of Rs. 1.3 million of ICIMOD and technical support of Ujyalo Nepal of Bardiya. 

The fencing will provide a lot of relief to the farmers here, he said. He also informed that the project has been forwarded as a test project in Jhapa, which is heavily affected by elephants. 

Member of the Constituent Assembly, Rabin Koirala, said that the mobile fencing was installed for the first time in Koshi Province to protect the paddy crop of the farmers.

He said that lots of efforts have been applied to control elephants and the mobile fencing was an important step in controlling the entry of elephants into the farms.  

This technology operated through solar energy to drive away elephants was successful in Bardiya district earlier. The mobile fencing is now in operation in 300 bighas of land in Ward No. 4 and 200 bighas of land in Ward No. 1. Earlier, many methods were used to drive away elephants.

Especially, during the ripening time of paddy and maize crops, the groups of elephants come and destroy the crops. Locals hope that this project will help save not only paddy but all other crops.