Installing street lights, rehabilitating a building and hiring a staff for wild elephant control sponsored by Nava-Wilson LLP
Due to its proximity to the deep forest, that is natural habitat for wild elephants, Panchenai comes under frequent attack from elephants. People have sleepless nights and wild elephant chasing, as the elephants routinely attack this village in search of food.
Elephant attacks cause severe damages, including loss of lives, physical injuries and psychological impact. Properties and crops are destroyed and damaged, resulting in livelihood loss and severe financial burden on the villagers. Although there is a nine-kilometer long electric fence along the elephant crossing border, elephants frequently damage the fence and enter into the village.
As part of this village development project by Anpuneri, the village development society cleared the area around the electric fence and hired guards to patrol the border along the fence during nights to protect the village and crops from the wild elephants. An integrated farm has been built in 9 acres land located inside the electric fence to provide livelihood support to women headed families. Anpuneri also provided funds to buy long range flash lights to be used by the guards and farm employees to chase elephants.
In order to coordinate the wild elephant control activities, Anpuneri-Panchenai Village Development Society requested to rehabilitate an existing building to use as the coordinating office. Since the village did not have street lights, the village needs street lights along the main streets. The society also requested funding to hire a wild elephant coordinating officer for the village. The duties of the staff will be helping villagers to file claims when there are damages due to elephant attack, managing the guards, coordinating with the Department of Wildlife.
During the Anpuneri’s BBQ 2017, Nava Wilson LLP came forward to take care of the expenses for Installing street lights, rehabilitating the building and providing salary to a coordinating staff for six months. Anpuneri-Panchenai Village Development Society has completed the street lights installation in December 2017 and rehabilitating the building in March 2018. The development society is going to hire a staff soon. Anpuneri and the Village Development Society thank Nava Wilson LLP for their generous contribution towards the village development project.
