Rudrapur, June 2 -- Residents in 43 villagers across Almora district have received respite from wild animals as the state agriculture department has completed installing solar chain link fences, preventing animals from damaging crops, officials familiar with the matter said on Friday. "We started the project last year and covered the agriculture's patches of these villages by installing solar chain link fencing. We covered 43 villages across Almora district and 31 villages were covered under district plan and rest 12 villages under the Chief Minister migration prevention scheme," said Vinod Sharma, chief agriculture officer (CAO) of Almora district. People living in the hills in Kumaon region have been fed up with wild animals like monkeys, wild boars and apes, which have been destroying their agriculture and horticulture over the last few years. Monkeys and apes enter the villages during daytime while other animals at night. Due to continuous loss caused by the wild animals, several residents of the hills have either abandoned agriculture or migrated to plain areas leaving behind their agricultural land barren. In a bid to protect agriculture from wild animals, the agriculture department began installing solar fencing in the villages of Almora. "In this fencing, agriculture patches of these villages are covered by a 5.5-feet-high chain link fencing. A mild current is generated from solar energy, which flows in the fencing. If any wild animal tries to enter the agricultural field, the fencing will deliver a slight shock, said Sharma. "We have covered around 46 hectares of land under the CM migration prevention scheme and 51 hectare of land under district plan. We spent a budget of Rs.1.52 crore under the district plan and Rs.1.58- crore under the CM migration prevention scheme, CAO added. Kamla Bisht, village administrator, Sungarhi village said, "Solar fencing installed by the agriculture department has given us relief. Now, we can grow and cultivate crops and vegetables as well as horticulture because fencing prevents wild animals from destroying our agriculture."...