Electric sirens have been installed at three places in Shuklaphanta Municipality-8 to protect the village from herds of wild elephants. The siren was installed after a wild elephant broke into a settlement near Chure area and started causing damage. "As soon as you see an elephant near the settlement, you press the switch connected to the siren and a loud noise can be heard," said Bahadur Singh Mahara, Chairman of Baijnath Community Organization, "The locals will be alert and ready to save their livelihood along with the crops."
An employee has also been arranged to sound the siren. The sound of a siren can be heard up to three kilometers away. "After the siren goes off, it is easy to chase away the elephant. Elephants won't be able to damage the crops planted in the fields. As villagers are alerted before the elephants enter the settlement, no human casualties will be reported", he added.
"Even the elephant is frightened by the sound of the siren," said Chairman Mahara. "The herd of elephants will not be able to damage the physical infrastructure including houses." The siren has been installed under the wild elephant control early warning system with the support of the Community Forest Coordinating Committee (CFCC) and the Terai Territorial Program. The siren has been connected in three places of the municipality including Beldandi, Manikadham toll, and Pariphantal. Herds of wild elephants, which reach the Chure region via India's Dudhuwa National Park, have been causing food and other damage to local farmers' crops every year. The siren connection is said to help reduce the damage caused by wild elephants.
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