KENDRAPARA: The wild boar considered a primary crop raider, has been a cause of concern for farmers in the villages around Bhitarkanika National Park so much so that the farmers have been demanding them declared as vermin which legalises their killing for larger benefit.
While six days back a group of boars attacked and injured five persons inside the park, the animals have been causing massive damage to crops. The boars that thrive along the human habitats consuming as well as trampling crops, in the last couple of years, have killed two persons in the villages around the park injured 50 others. During the same period, at least 40 boars have also been killed due to poaching and poisoning. Forest officials have arrested 20 poachers in last two years, says DFO of the park, Bikash Ranjan Dash.
The boars dig grubs, tubers and roots causing considerable damage to vegetable crops which irks villagers who do not hesitate in taking out their ire on the animals which are protected under Wildlife Protection Act. On December 23 last, irate residents of Belapala village hacked a boar to death after it attacked and injured a woman while she was plucking vegetables from her farm. Similarly, two boars were allegedly poisoned to death on October 10 in Dangamal village. The animals had consumed vegetables laced with poison by some locals at a field.
On January 13, a group of boars attacked and injured five persons including a woman at Madhupur village within the park. Last year, a 56-year-old woman was killed in Narasinghpur village while she was guarding ripe paddy crop on her field. Meanwhile, farmers’ leader and president of district Krushak Sabha Umesh Chandra Singh said boars must be declared vermins. This will legalise culling of the animals to save crops.
“The governments of Uttarakhand and Bihar had declared boars as vermin in 2016. Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act empowers the Central government to issue notifications declaring any wild animal, other than those specified in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II, as vermin for any specified area and a specified period by including the species in Schedule V of the Act, said Umesh Chandra Singh a farmer’ leader and the president of the district Krushak Sabha.
What is ‘Vermin’?
The ‘vermin tag’ is given to animals involved in crop depredation, conflict with humans and loss of property
As per Section 62 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, States can send a list of wild animals to the Centre requesting it to declare them vermin for selective slaughter
The Central Government may by notification, declare any wild animal other than those specified in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II of the law to be vermin for any area for a given period of time
Once declared vermin, the particular species will not be covered under the Wildlife Protection Act, and can be hunted or culled without restriction
