BHOPAL: On the fourth day of the ongoing budget session, members of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha expressed concern over the rising threat of nilgais (blue bulls) to the safety of agriculture as well as human lives.
Concurring with the concerns raised by the opposition Congress as well as ruling BJP members over the issue, the Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar asked the state government to make a systematic plan after consulting experts. “If the nilgais continue to increase too much, then the state may have to face more problems,” the Speaker said.
Assuring the Speaker of appropriate action on the issue, the state’s parliamentary affairs minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said, “I’ll draw the attention of the MP CM to your suggestion and we will definitely take effective steps on the issue.”
The issue was raised by opposition Congress legislator Vipin Jain during the Question Hour. Jain represents the Mandsaur seat of western MP – which is part of the region where the menace of nilgais is perhaps the highest.
“The biggest problem in my district pertains to nilgais, whose numbers are increasing rapidly. In groups of 30-40, 50-60, they enter the farmers' fields and destroy standing crops. Apart from it they are also causing road accidents, due to which human lives are getting lost. The state’s revenue minister says that compensation is being provided to farmers who are losing their crops due to the nilgais. As per the existing rule if there is 25% percent or more loss to crops, then only compensation will be given. But in my entire Mandsaur district, just one farmer has received compensation between 2014 and 2023 and the compensation sum was Rs 9000 only," said Jain.
“The nilgai numbers have now reached lakhs and farmers are in deep trouble due to these animals every day. Farmers should be given money to put up fences, so that they can do wire fencing around their fields,” he added.
Responding to the Congress MLA's concerns, the state’s revenue minister Karan Singh Verma said, “Rs 67,716 has been paid as compensation in ten cases. The forest department has put up sign boards alerting the presence of wild animals on the roadside. For further prevention, where there is forest department land in MP, speed breakers too have been installed. We will raise the issue with the forest department about what other measures can be taken for prevention.”
Joining Jain on the issue was third-time BJP MLA from Jaora seat of Ratlam district (which neighbours Mandsaur) Rajendra Pandey and the Congress MLA from adjoining Dhar district’s Badnawar seat Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat.
“This is a major issue, in the past too it has been discussed in the House. There was discussion in the past that an action plan similar to the establishment of Gau Abhyaran (cow sanctuary) could be made in respect of nilgais also at the divisional level,” Pandey said.
“The problem is really very serious, I would request the state’s finance minister (also the deputy CM) that if given monetary help, the farmers can fence their fields, put up nets to save at least some part of their crops from such animals,” the Congress MLA Bhanawar Singh Shekhawat added while joining the discussion on the issue.
Answering the concerns of MLAs cutting across party lines on the issue, the revenue minister said, “We’re taking help from experts from South Africa. If there have been cases of animal loss or loss of human life, then the concerned MLAs can give it to me in writing.”
Agreeing with the concerns of the MLAs from both sides on the issue, the Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar said, “In the past, our cattle used to roam freely and many times concern was expressed in the House about it. For this, the government made a plan for Gaushala on a large scale and it has been successful to address that issue to some extent. But there is a huge difference between cattle and nilgais. Stopping nilgais with wire fencing is a difficult task. I request the minister and the deputy CM to make a systematic plan in this matter after consulting the concerned department and experts.”
The problem of nilgais as well as wild boars causing enormous loss to crops is a major issue in the state’s western and southwestern parts particularly.
According to informed sources, the state forest department is already working on a plan with South African experts to use helicopters to drive away nilgais and blackbucks in vehicles and then add them as prey base at tiger and cheetah reserves, like the present home of cheetahs -- the Kuno National Park -- or Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary which is likely to be the second home of cheetahs in MP.