KOZHIKODE: Rendering many multi-crore projects toothless, the deadly human-wildlife conflict in the state continues to get dire. The death of a 50-year-old farmer at Puthussery, Mananthavady of Wayanad last week is only the latest in a string of incidents which has seen 123 lives lost in the past 18 months. Over sixty of these are snake bite cases.
As per the data released by the Forest department, the state has reported 88,287 cases of human-wildlife conflict between June 2021 and December 2022. A total of 8,707 incidents of crop and property damage have also been reported. Eastern Forest Circle, which consists of Palakkad, Nilambur, Mannarkkad and Nenmara forest divisions, was the worst hit with 43 fatalities. It also accounted for nearly 15% of crop and property damage cases. Southern Forest Circle is second on the list with 30 fatalities and 1,252 cases of crop loss.
What further compounds the situation is the long delay in disbursing compensation to victims. The department’s data shows that a whopping 8,231 applications for compensation are still pending. Wayanad, one of the districts worst hit by wildlife attacks, has over 2,000 cases gathering dust.
“The existing measures have proved futile,” said T C Jose, the chairman of the Wayanad Action Committee to Prevent Wildlife Attack. “The government must now consider steps to control the wildlife population,” Jose said. “Setting up of Mankulam-model crash guard rope fencing is also an effective method”, the chairman noted.