M A I N   N E W S

Wild animals give Punjab farmers sleepless nights
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 23
Just as Punjab farmers were beginning to recover from damage caused by unseasonal rains in September, marauding wild animals are giving them sleepless nights.

Standing crops on many acres have been destroyed by animals in search for food. Invasion by blue bulls and wild boars is most common. The Punjab Government allows culling of wild boars but other animals can neither be killed nor hurt.

To counter the wild threat, Gurdeep Singh of Chaunta Khurd village, Rupnagar, has taken to guarding his fields and pins hopes on some local hunters too for the job.

Gurdev Singh, sarpanch of Raipur Sahni village in Anandpur Sahib, said most residents of his village complained of damage to their crops by wild boars. “If we kill or hurt them, we can be booked by the wildlife officials and in case these animals enter the fields, all we can do is wait or scare them away,” he said.

The Wildlife Department has allegedly failed to tackle the menace and instead armed SDMs, instead of asking the district wildlife officials concerned, to issue permits.

In areas near “birs” (protected forest land), the problem is more serious as due to little food and water available, animals usually feed on crops.

Gurdeep said: “After toiling hard in the fields till evening, I stay awake throughout the night to protect my crops. Wild boars roam freely at night and getting a clearance for hunting animals from the Wildlife Department and the local SDM is a lengthy procedure. So, I have sought help from Patiala-based hunter Balraj Singh Ghumman.”

Ghumman said: “I receive numerous calls from farmers every day. Earlier, many hunters used to chip in to help farmers. But wildlife officials, especially Sub Divisional Magistrates and Divisional Forest Officers, have made the process of issuing hunting permits cumbersome. Many times they ask us to come twice a week to their offices for follow-ups. This has discouraged hunters.”

Farmers in Patran, Sanaur, Sangrur, Ferozepur and Nabha continue to grapple with the animal trouble. “At night, animals from Pakistan side cross the fencing and enter Indian side only to create havoc in our fields,” claimed Sarabjit Singh, who owns 50 acres near the India-Pakistan border in Ferozepur. Jaskaran Sandhu, former vice-chairman, Punjab Wildlife Advisory Board, said the government had already allowed culling of wild boars but it should also ensure that hunters are not troubled in the name of permits. “The government can invite applications and allow registered hunters to help farmers in Punjab,” he said.

The government had issued a notification allowing hunting of wild boars for self consumption in December 2009. According to a letter issued by the Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, hunting of wild boars is allowed in 13 towns of six districts, where the village panchayat can pass a resolution highlighting the problem and the request can be sent to the SDM office. The 13 towns are: Mukerian, Dasuya and Garshankar in Hoshiarpur; Balachaur in Nawanshahr; Dhar, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur; Ropar, Anandpur Sahib and Kharar in Ropar; Ajnala, Tarn Taran and Patti in Amritsar; and Ludhiana.

Karamjit Jattana, former Divisional Forest Officer who now runs an NGO, said the government should make the process simpler. “Wild boar population increases manifold every year and if the problem is not addressed, farmers will continue facing threat to life and crops,” he said.

Chief wildlife warden Dhirender Singh said SDMs had been authorised and hundreds of permits were issued every year. “I agree that animals cause lot of damage but the forest department has no role in it. Farmers should seek compensation which is allowed by the government,” he said.

Many farmers don’t even apply for relief