Bandipur solar fence draws ire of environmentalists

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Wildlife conservationists are up in arms against the Bandipur National Park for building a solar fence around a 10-acre plot in its ranges to protect the fruit trees it has planted on it from raids by the animals.

While the solar fence around the plot near the Tavarekatte Mahadeshwara Temple in the Bandipur range is charged by four batteries of 12 kv capacity each and does not pose a threat to the lives of the wild animals, the conservationists say it is stopping them from quenching their thirst at a waterhole nearby. 

Going by sources, park officials fenced the plot about a month ago after planting jackfruit, mango, bamboo, gooseberry and other trees on it to keep wild animals, especially elephants, from raiding it and destroying the saplings. 

But crying foul, conservationists say the Wildlife Protection Act has clear guidelines against human interference in a sanctuary. Unwilling to buy the park officials' claim that the solar fence around the fruit trees was installed on the orders of their seniors in the department, the activists allege they knew what they were doing and the route of the safari was deliberately changed to make sure that the fence went unnoticed. 

"The park officials could have explored other ways to protect the saplings instead of solar fencing the area, which involves huge expenditure as well," argues one conservationist. 

Another wildlife activist recalls that  a couple of years ago, the Bandipur Park had fenced  a plot in the Gopalaswami Betta range to grow sandalwood trees and was forced to later remove it after criticism in the media.