UTTAR PRADESH : For residents of Lohra village, the forest begins almost where their homes end.
Nestled along the fringes of Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in the upper Gangetic plains of Bahraich district in central Uttar Pradesh, the village has always shared its boundaries with one of the state’s richest wildlife habitats. Tigers, leopards and other wild animals move through the neighbouring sal forests.
For decades, that coexistence meant constant vigilance. Even routine tasks could become dangerous after sunset. Families planned their evenings around the possibility of wildlife movement, while children were called indoors before darkness.
Today, however, an unusual structure rising from the forest edge is changing that equation. Lohra is home to UP’s first predator-proof housing cluster, an innovative, community-based safety model designed to protect people living in close proximity to large carnivores. More than a physical barrier, the facility represents a new approach to human-wildlife coexistence. It seeks to make villages safer without disrupting the natural movement of wildlife and while reducing man-animal conflict.
At first glance, the cluster appears simple. Six houses stand together inside a common secured enclosure. Yet every aspect of the design has been planned around a single goal: keeping residents safe from accidental encounters with predators.
The protective boundary stretches for nearly 160 metres around the cluster. Constructed using locally available bamboo poles and reinforced PVC chain mesh, the fence rises approximately 12 to 15 feet high, creating a secure perimeter around the homes.
The choice of materials is one of the facility’s strengths. Bamboo and PVC mesh are affordable, readily available and easy to maintain, making it replicable.
A centrally connected hooter alarm system provides another layer of protection. Residents of any house within the cluster can activate the alarm to immediately alert their neighbours in the event of a perceived threat or emergency. All these elements turn the housing cluster into more than a fenced settlement.
FACILITY BRINGS PEACE OF MIND
The greatest impact of the facility can perhaps be seen not in the walls themselves but in how daily life inside them has changed. As darkness falls, the compound remains lit. Families move about with greater confidence. Children continue playing within the enclosed space, while women complete household chores without the constant anxiety associated with isolated movement near forested areas. The facility provides something residents have rarely enjoyed: peace of mind.