Chain-link, solar fencing installed in UP's forest areas to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts

The Uttar Pradesh government has installed over 231 km of chain-link fencing and 41 km of solar fencing across forest areas to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, an official statement issued here on Monday said.

The forest department has introduced several innovative measures to protect both wildlife and the lives and livelihoods of villagers residing near forest zones. Among these, the large-scale construction of chain-link fencing stands out as a highly effective intervention, it added.

Forest officials said chain link fencing is a type of fence made from metal wire or steel woven together to create a diamond-shaped mesh pattern and used due to its durability and cost-effectiveness.

Solar fencing forms a secure perimeter protection system that uses solar power to energise an electric fence. It is used in high-risk areas where the movement of wild animals is more, they said.

Solar fencing works by using solar panels to generate electricity, which is then stored in a battery and used to power the energiser. When an animal (or person) comes into contact with the fence, it completes the circuit, delivering a brief and non-lethal shock as a deterrent, the officials said.

These barriers have proven successful in deterring wildlife from straying into human settlements, thereby reducing crop damage, human casualties and incidents involving domestic animals entering forest areas and falling prey to wild predators, the statement said.

These efforts have significantly enhanced the safety of both wildlife and rural communities, including their livestock, which live near forest boundaries. A key part of this strategy involves the deployment of department-trained 'Bagh Mitras', who are playing a vital role in bridging the gap between local communities and forest management, it said.

These volunteers not only promote wildlife conservation but also support conflict prevention through awareness programmes and real-time response coordination.

''Between 2023 and 2025, approximately 231 kilometres of chain-link fencing and 41 kilometres of solar fencing were installed across forest areas,'' it said.

Between 2023 and 2024, about 125 km of chain-link fencing and 21 km of solar fencing were installed, followed by 106 km of chain-link and 20 km of solar fencing between 2024 and 2025, the statement said.

The selection and training of 'Bagh Mitras' for villages bordering tiger reserves as well as the Lion Safari in Etawah has emerged as an effective initiative.

These community volunteers help foster a sense of trust between villagers and the Forest Department by conducting regular awareness meetings that cover wildlife safety measures, animal behavioural patterns and emergency response protocols, it said.

To strengthen these initiatives, the State Disaster Mitigation Fund has facilitated the procurement of advanced surveillance and tracking equipment including drones, GPS devices, camera traps and other modern tools that are instrumental in monitoring wildlife movements and preventing incursions into inhabited areas.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)