Wildlife menace: solar-powered picket fences to be erected around vulnerable areas in Keralam’s Kozhikode’s Chakkittappara panchayat

Field work to install solar-powered hanging fences has begun at Chakkittappara Gram Panchayat in Kozhikode district of Kerala. (Photo for representation) | Photo credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Field work to install solar-powered hanging fences has begun in Chakkittappara grama panchayat in Kozhikode district of Kerala to address recurring incidents of wild animals entering human settlements and damaging crops in hilly areas.

Initial work started at Randamcheeli in Poozhithode. The fence is being installed at vulnerable stretches in Poozhithode, Chempanoda and Alambara, where residents have reported frequent incursions by wild elephants, wild pigs and monkeys.

The project is part of a wider initiative by the forest department to install hanging solar fences along about 64 km of vulnerable forest boundaries in Kozhikode district. The initiative was launched during the tenure of the Left Democratic Front government and covers selected sites in Peruvannamoozhi, Kuttiyadi and Thamarassery forests.

Delayed

According to forest department officials, the work at Chakkittappara was started by the Uralungal Co-operative Societies Contract Work about a year ago, but progressed slowly. Local residents and elected representatives have expressed concern over the delay, particularly as repeated wildlife incursions have caused significant crop losses and posed a threat to people’s lives and property.

Trees removed

Last week, trees obstructing the proposed alignment of the fence were removed along a stretch of about 5 km from Randamcheeli to Ambattupadi. Earthworks are now underway to prepare the terrain and install fence posts.

Under the Peruvannamoozhi range, the project includes Alampara, Undamoola, Muthappanpuzha, Seethappara and Chenkottakolly. About 18 km of fencing is being installed under Chakkittappara panchayat at a cost of ₹ 2.72 crore.

In the Kuttiyadi area, the project covers 17.5 km in Kavilumpara, Venimel and Narippatta panchayats. In the Thamarassery area, about 12 km of fencing is planned in the vulnerable areas of Thiruvambady, Kodenchery and Puthuppady. Another 16 km is being taken up under a scheme funded by the Department of Agriculture in vulnerable stretches of Thiruvambady and Koodaranji panchayats.

The forest department is also planning to maintain the existing fences in the Peruvannamoozhi, Kuttiyadi and Thamarassery ranges. The head of the forest department confirms that the maintenance work is expected to ensure the proper functioning of electric fences along a length of about 27 km.

According to leaders of various settler farmers’ organizations, wild elephants have already destroyed several acres of land in upland areas where farmers were growing coconut, areca nut, plantain, cocoa and nutmeg. All the plants and trees lost were high-yielding varieties grown by farmers with huge investments, they pointed out.

Farmers in panchayats like Kodenchery, Maruthongara and Kavilumpara also demanded strengthening of protective measures against wild animal raids. According to them, most farmers have not yet received adequate compensation for the destruction caused by wild animals. Many were struggling to repay farm loans with declining income from the agriculture sector, they claimed.

Published – 07 Oct 2026 17:25 IST