Dharamshala: There is a strong reason for Rajendra Kumar to be on cloud nine as he has been able to restart farming after a gap of nearly 10 years thanks to the concerted efforts of senior IAS officer and Kangra (HP) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rakesh Kumar Prajapati.

Kumar, Panchayat Pradhan, lives at Kuthama near Gaggal airport, says: “I had abandoned farming nearly ten years ago as stray and wild animals including pigs and monkeys used to destroy every crop. My land had become barren. MMKSY has proved a blessing in disguise for me. The solar fencing has changed my life now.”

Explains Prajapati: “In view of the farmers abandoning agriculture due to wild animal attacks on their crops, the Himachal government has launched a scheme to provide for fencing around farmlands including solar fencing.”

He said the scheme was launched under the Mukhyamantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojana (MMKSY), which provides a 50 per cent subsidy on barbed wire and chain link fencing, 70 per cent on composite fencing and 85 per cent on solar fencing.”

The DC Kangra further said: “The scheme was launched in 2019-20. A sum of Rs 10.31 crore has been spent on 1,26,843 meters of solar fencing on the land of 784 farmers across the district so far.”

The solar fencing comprises solar energy-driven fencing. In this modern, non-conventional fencing, wires carry solar-energy produced current delivering a fierce but non-fatal shock to an animal coming in its contact, causing a suitable deterrent effect on animals.

According to Kumar, he decided to erect solar fencing around an area of 320 square meters of about 10 kanals of land. “Out of the total cost of Rs 3,58,543, I gave Rs 1,07,562 as my share and received a subsidy of Rs 2,50,980 from the Agriculture Department,” he said.

Another beneficiary of the scheme, Mithila Sharma of Siholpuri village under Shahpur Panchayat, said there was so much terror of attack by nilgai, pigs and monkeys on her fields that they did not allow even turmeric or greens to be harvested apart from traditional crops.

“On the finding of the plan, I put a fence on my land in an area of 310 square meters. It cost me Rs 3,36,927 out of which I deposited Rs 1,01,078 as my share while the department provided a subsidy of Rs 2,35,849,” she said.