Solar lights to secure remote, vulnerable forest camps

Guwahati, Dec 4: Wildlife personnel manning forest camps deep inside a protected forest area have to discharge their duty in pitched darkness on moonless nights while guarding wildlife against poachers on the prowl. They run a risk to their life while doing so.

Installing electric lights to secure forest camps deep inside forest areas hazardous, non-ecofriendly and just next to impossible. So, the most feasible way to secure forest camps and its inhabitants from being attacked by poachers or wildlife, is solar power which is a green and renewable energy.

Realising the need to secure such forest camps in wildlife protection areas in Assam especially rhino-bearing areas, Aaranyak (www.aaranya.org) a premier research-based biodiversity conservation orgnisation in the region has launched an initiative to provide solar lights to Assam forest departments for installation to secure such vulnerable and interior forest camps.

The Rhino Research Conservation Division (RRCD) of Aaranyak has already distributed solar lights for installation in Sonitpur East Division and Biswanath Wildlife Divisions, areas adjacent to the Kaziranga National Park.

The solar lights have been installed in fringe area of Bihali Reserve Forest and Borgang of Sonitpur and Gahigaon, Biswanath Ghat, Kusumtula, Panpur and Gupaljaroni of Biswanath Wildlife Division.

 Arif Hussain, Manager, RRCD Aaranyak handed over the solar lights to Suhas Kadam, DFO, Sonitpur East Division in presence of Biswajit Das, ACF, Sonitpur East Division recently.

So far ten solar lights were distributed for both the forest divisions. Mukut Das, DFO Biswanath Wildlife Division and Suhas Kadam, DFO, Sonitpur East Division expresses their gratitude to Aaranyak and hope for more initiatives and supports in coming days.

Four more such solar lights with poles will be provided for installation inside Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary while another has been installed at the bird watching tower on Deepar Beel.

About 50 more solar lights are being provided two other divisions of Aarayak for the benefit of forest camps as well as to light up some vulnerable forest fringe areas.