For the past four years, the six villages located along the boundary between the buffer and core zones of Pench Tiger Reserve (which straddles Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) have been a major attraction for wildlife tourists, who come to see the rich diversity of animals in the forests. For tourists, this place is nothing less than a paradise. But for locals, living here means constantly navigating the threat from wild animals that hangs over their daily lives and livelihood.
Shyamlal Chama Hirpaji, a farmer from Silari village, explains how deeply his life and livelihood are tied to the nearby forest. “I am completely dependent on my field, which lies very close to the core zone boundary of the reserve. There is good water availability on my land, so under normal circumstances, I could easily cultivate my entire three acres and grow more than two crops. But now, I cannot use my full land because wild animals keep entering the field again and again and trample and destroy whatever crop I grow.”
Shyamlal now cultivates only as much land as is needed to sustain his family. “Now I grow crops on only two acres,” he says.
The machan
To protect their crops against wild animals, farmers had long relied on a traditional method: building a machan (a bamboo hut on tall wooden poles) in their fields. They spent entire nights on these machans, keeping watch over their crops. But as the frequency of wild animals entering the fields kept increasing, most villagers eventually stopped night watch.
Some farmers turned to another method: running an electric current through the fencing around their fields. But this carried its own dangers—sometimes the live wires killed not only animals but also farmers.
The light
Some farmers in the six villages have been using solar LED deterrents since 2022. Shivdas Kudvate from Silari says, “My field is right next to the forest. For many years, we suffered badly from wild animals. About three years ago, we received these lights from the Satpuda Foundation [a nonprofit]. Since then, we have been free from the terror of wild animals.”
“On my five acres, I grow paddy, cotton, pigeon pea, chickpea, and wheat. Deer, sambar, nilgai, and wild boar used to enter my field in large numbers. But ever since these lights were installed, wild animals have almost stopped coming into the fields at night.”
The light he is referring to is called Parabraksh— a device fitted with four LED lights and a lithium-ion battery that stores energy from a small solar panel. Tied to a pole or wooden post, it emits light up to 250 metres, creating an impression of human presence for wild animals. One light effectively covers one hectare. Under the Dr. Shyamprasad Mukherjee Jan-Van Vikas Yojana, farmers receive a 75 percent subsidy to install these lights. subsidy to install these lights.
The change
Not every farmer has received the lights, and not every farmer is convinced they work. Kashi Ram Tekav, a farmer from Wagholi village, says, “Wild animals have created terror right inside our village. We have three acres of farmland, but crops are getting destroyed due to these animals. Neither the government nor anyone else provides lights or equipment to guard our crops. Lights don’t affect these animals anyway.”
Raghunath Gangaram Durve, another farmer from Wagholi, shares a similar frustration. “We three brothers share ten acres of farmland, and the biggest problem is wild animals. Sambar and leopards enter fields day and night. We got shock machines to protect crops, but the animals are so clever they break the wires and get in. We haven’t received solar LED deterrents yet. In our paddy fields, where we expected 17 bags, we only got five.”
For those who have received the lights, challenges remain. Dilip Wadke (60), a farmer from Pipariya village, says, “Earlier I had one solar LED light provided by the Satpuda Foundation, but it stopped working. Buying a new solar light is very expensive—it costs around INR 10,000—so instead I bought a Chinese light. It is very cheap, available for just INR 500. The only difference is that I have to charge this Chinese light at home every day, whereas the solar light does not need to be charged separately.” Farmers who try to procure the Chinese lights themselves travel to Nagpur to buy them. Once purchased, there is no facility for maintenance or support in their villages.
The experience of farmers like Wadke points to a larger question about the reliability of the solution. Sagar Bansode, Forest Officer at the Pouni Territorial Forest Range in Nagpur, says, “We can’t rely on just one method to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Solar LED deterrents are helpful, but not a complete solution. We need to raise awareness in villages, so people understand how these devices work and their limitations.”
Wildlife researcher Nishikant Kale points to a specific weak link: the batteries. Many units break down within six months, leaving farmers to either return to guarding fields all night or face constant repair and replacement costs. “If we invest in higher-quality batteries for these solar lights, they could become reliable, long-lasting tools to keep crop-raiding animals away. A bit more upfront cost for sturdy batteries would extend their lifespan, rebuild farmers’ trust, and truly let solar tech protect fields at night.”
A version of this article was originally published on Baimanus.
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Know more
- Learn how climate change has increased human-wildlife conflict.
- Read more about how different states are tackling human-wildlife conflict.
