Assam Farmers Face Elephant Threat as Solar Fencing Stalls

Guwahati: Farmers along the Assam-Meghalaya border in the Palasbari constituency are bracing for impact. Wild elephants are expected to raid ripening paddy fields as the harvest season nears. A 17-kilometer solar fencing project from Mairapur Silputa to Garopara, intended to block the herds, sits mostly unfinished. Workers on-site confirm that only three kilometers of the fence are standing.

The lack of progress leaves local growers defenseless. In Nalapara, work has not started at all. Residents fear their livelihoods will be trampled while the forest department drags its feet. Reports from Mairapur and Belguri show that elephants are already damaging existing sections of the fence. Farmers demand that officials fix these holes immediately.

Herds often cross the state border seeking food. They do not stop at standing crops. They also crush harvested produce left temporarily in the fields. Farmers warned that incomplete barriers make the entire project useless. One resident noted, "The timely completion of the project is essential to safeguard their produce and reduce the recurring threat of human-elephant conflict during the paddy season." The community is now pushing for urgent repairs and the rapid completion of the remaining gaps.