Bio-fencing to be done to Protect Crops from Wildlife

• 17 May 2023

Why in News?

On 16 May 2023, Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand Forest Department, Dr. Sameer Sinha said that bio-fencing will now be promoted in place of solar power fences to reduce the loss of crops caused by wildlife in the state.

Key Points:

• In order to promote bio-fencing, instructions have been given by the state government to set up a cell as well as appoint special officers for this. Apart from promoting bio-fencing, this cell will also conduct research on these subjects.
• Budget will be arranged for this in the Campa Fund itself. Plant species will be studied for different fencing.
• It is known that till now only solar energy fencing was used to protect crops from damage, but the cost of installing it is high. Once the fencing is done by the department, it is handed over to the villagers. Due to a lack of proper maintenance, this fence wears out quickly and the beneficiaries do not get the expected results.
• In order to avoid this problem, Chief Secretary Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, in the meeting of the Steering Committee of CAMPA (Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority), directed the forest officials to promote bio-fencing.
• Wild boars, elephants and monkeys especially harm the crops in the state. Bio-fencing will be done accordingly in the area where the terror of wildlife is more.
• Depending on the weather, climate and geographical conditions, different bio-fencing is done at different places. These commonly include black bamboo, thorn bamboo, ram bamboo, geranium, lemongrass, various types of cactus, Euphorbia antiquorum (tridhara), devil's backbone, eastern red, Clerodendrum inermis, bougainvillaea, gooseberry, Jatropha curcas, Duranta erecta, hybrid vine tree, Leyland Cypress and Hemelia etc.
• Dehradun Forest Division's forest officer Nitishamani Tripathi said that bio-fencing was used in Lansdowne in the year 2015, which was successful. Some time ago this method was also adopted in Ramnagar. This type of fencing is being used in many countries.
• Under this, beekeeping is used as bio-fencing. In this, instead of keeping the bee boxes on the ground at the edge of the field, with the help of trees or pegs, they are suspended above the ground with the help of a wire. As soon as an animal moves this wire, bees come out and attack it. This method has proved effective in keeping elephants away from the fields.
• That's why bio-fencing is better:
  • Solar power is cheaper than fencing and there is not much hassle of maintenance after installation.
  • Different types of fences also yield different types of production.
  • Prevents soil erosion.
  • It is a cheaper deal than building a wall or digging a pit.