Maval village, located 58 km from Pune, is self-sufficient in power generation through solar panels. However, in an unfortunate incident on Wednesday around 5:30am, two buffaloes were killed when they came into contact with an exposed solar plant wire while returning from grazing in the mountains to their shed. The buffaloes belonged to Sudam Rambhau Waje.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Nilesh Garade of the Wildlife Rescue Team, Maval, said, “The life of people in this village solely depends upon agriculture and livestock, and many poor people don’t even have land for agriculture, so they depend mainly on livestock for their livelihood. One of the villagers lost two buffaloes as they stepped on a live wire from the solar panels. It’s a huge loss for the family. We have sent the bodies to the animal hospital. The investigation is underway. The companies installing these solar panels should be careful; their negligence has cost two lives.”
A villager, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “The people from the NGOs insisted we install the solar power, and now our two buffaloes are dead. I doubt that we will receive any compensation from the government. Becoming a power-generating village is good, but at what cost? The government should enhance the safety measures around the solar plant installations.”
The local police are investigating the matter, and swift action will be taken, Garade informed.
