Palmyrah fence to stop elephants

A proposal to plant palmyrah trees along the boundaries of forest reserves as an alternative to the electric fence to prevent the human – elephant conflict is now being considered in several districts. The Practical Action Institute that put forward the proposal has found it an effective method after a long study.

Institute Chief Ranasinghe Perera explained the feasibility and productivity of the proposed method at a meeting in the Monaragala District Secretariat. He pointed out that the colossal expenditure on repairs and maintenance of electric fences could be avoided if the proposed method was adopted.

The government has to spend about Rs.500,000 to erect one kilometre of electric fence and Rs.25,000 a year to maintain it, the cost of maintenance would increase in a large percentage every year and also that the maximum durability of an electric fence was about five years, he added.

Representative of the Practical Action Institute said the estimated cost of planting palmyrah plants was Rs.72,000 a kilometre and that the trees would last for more than 100 years. He said theplamyrah fence was an environmentfriendly method and that palmyrah fruits would providefodder to the wild elephants during the drought from May to October when there is a shortage of food in the jungle. The estimated yield perkilometre is 270 metric tonnes.

Daily Mirror

The palmyrah seedlings planted at a regular distance of about five feet in four methodical rows along the existing electric fence would mature in eight years.

A Government Information Department news release said the proposed project would be implemented in Monaragala, Ampara and Batticaloa as an initiative under the guidance of the Practical Action Institute. Monaragala District Secretary U.K.S. Mihindukulasuriy has taken steps to implement the project in several areas with people’s participation.