Elephants continue to be an everyday problem for the resident in Sarpang. This not so new issue for the district has been resulting in a lot of damages on both crops and properties.
To deter the elephants from entering settlements, officials are now installing animal intrusion detection and repellent systems in badly affected gewogs in the district.
As the elephants come near the communities, the systems will produce lights and sounds intended to scare off the animals. It will also alert the quick response team and the community members.
The Sarpang Forest Division and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are installing the systems in Shompankha, Samtenling and Gelephug Gewogs.
Phub Dendup, the chief forestry officer at Sarpang Divisional Forest Office said, “These three gewogs have severe problems. There are huge damages to the Areca nut plantations as well as paddy fields. So in all these three gewogs, we have instituted quick response teams. We are getting very good support from the community.”
He said the systems are not to replace the existing mitigation measures such as electric fencing and trenches.
“We are just trying to supplement the system by sealing the gaps, especially during the monsoon season. The electric fence installed across the riverbed gets washed away by the flash floods,” added the CFO.
People are hopeful this new method will be able to address the issue that all their efforts have failed to solve till now.
Kharka Badhur Rai, a resident in Samtenling gewog said, “ We have had this issues for a long time now. The government set up electric fence but it failed.”
“If we know they are coming, we could keep them at bay. Otherwise, we never know their presence except when they make noise. With the installation of this machine and its sound alerts, it will benefit us,” said Tshewang Pelden, another resident.
A total of 32 machines were installed at the cost of Nu 700,000.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Sangay Chezom
