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🇳🇵 Nepal /Environment & Climate

Solar power inside forests, sirens in villages to curb wildlife attacks

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Residents in Nepal's Meghauli, a tourism hub bordering Chitwan National Park, are implementing innovative measures to mitigate increasing wildlife attacks.
  • New safety initiatives include solar-powered water pumps to maintain forest resources and sirens to alert villagers of approaching animals.
  • These efforts aim to reduce human-wildlife conflict, which has resulted in numerous injuries, fatalities, and property damage in the region.

Meghauli, a popular tourist destination in Nepal, is taking proactive steps to address the escalating threat of wildlife attacks. Situated near Chitwan National Park, the area experiences frequent encounters between humans and animals, leading to injuries, fatalities, and damage to livestock and crops.

On the same evening, a wild elephant was spotted. We immediately activated the siren installed earlier that day near the south-western corner of Meghauli Airport. This alerted residents to remain cautious.

— Yam Bahadur Thapa MagarA local resident describing the immediate impact of the newly installed siren system.

To combat this recurring danger, local communities have installed a siren system, activated when wild animals are detected entering settlements. This system, mounted on a 40-foot tower, can be heard up to three kilometers away, allowing villagers to take necessary precautions and stay indoors. The army also assists in driving back animals when needed.

Once the siren goes off, villagers avoid going near the forest and stay indoors. There is also an army post nearby, and the army helps when animals need to be driven back.

— Yam Bahadur Thapa MagarExplaining the function and community response to the siren system.

In addition to the sirens, the Meghauli Buffer Zone User Committee is implementing solar-powered pump systems. These pumps help manage water levels in wetland areas and irrigate grasslands within the forest. The goal is to ensure animals have sufficient food and water sources inside the park, thereby reducing their need to venture into populated areas.

The pump runs on solar power and has helped manage water in wetland areas. We are also using it to irrigate grasslands so they do not dry out. If grass and water sources are available inside the forest, animals are less likely to enter villages.

— Bishal KumalThe chairperson of the Rapti Niyantran Buffer Zone Community Forest explaining the benefits of the solar pump system.

These mitigation measures come in response to a history of conflict. Between 1997 and 2024, rhino attacks caused 13 deaths, tiger attacks 6, and elephant attacks 3. Four more deaths have occurred since then, with many more people injured. The committee plans to install additional sirens in high-risk settlements, prioritizing areas with dense populations of the indigenous Kumal community.

The risk of attacks is also highest in these settlements, so we have prioritised water and grassland management there.

— Mayaram ChaudharyThe chairperson of the Meghauli Buffer Zone User Committee explaining the focus on specific settlements.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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