Shooting of wild boars causing continuous crop loss will begin shortly with the Forest Department framing guidelines for the same. The guidelines will be issued this week.
It will be restricted to the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki, and Pathanamthitta districts for one year on an experimental basis.
Though an expert committee constituted by the previous government had recommended it only in five districts, a government order issued last month was silent on the districts where the animal can be culled. This had created an impression that there was a blanket order for killing the animal in the entire State. The decision to restrict it to five districts was taken at a joint meeting of senior officials of the Forest department and Divisional Forest Officers of the five districts on Monday.
Farmers can submit applications for killing the animal and a format for filing application will be prepared. However, the department will not insist on the format, says a senior official of the department.
It has been decided to permit the shooting of the animal only in the presence of a forest official deputed by the range officer of the area. Mothers accompanied by suckling will be spared. The department will seek clarifications from the government regarding the allocation of Rs. 500 for every animal killed by a hired shooter, as indicated in the order. It is to be clarified whether the payment is for killing the animal or burying the carcass, officials say.
Contradictions prevail
Meanwhile, some range officers, who will be responsible for the culling, point out that several discrepancies and contradictions have crept into the order. Though it is mentioned in the introductory part of the order that boars that repeatedly raid crops will have to be killed, section 3 of the guidelines states that killing is permitted only in Scheduled Tribe colonies, they say.
There are not many Scheduled Tribe colonies in the fringe areas of forests in the State and the community is not into agriculture on a considerable scale. Going by the order, any killing of wild boars outside such colonies will be illegal and invite legal action as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. It will lead to victimisation of forest officials, they fear.
Hunting
It is reported that the most number of wildlife offences registered in the State pertains to killing of boars. Considering this fact, permission should not be issued to persons who are involved in wildlife offences. The antecedents of the applicant regarding wildlife offences should be checked. However, the order is silent on these aspects, they say.
The time frame of three days for assessing the application and consultations with presidents of Vana Samrakshana Samities and Eco Development Committees and local body representatives is insufficient. The department has fixed a time limit of 20 days for cutting down trees from non-forest areas and this should be extended to applications for shooting of animals as well, they say.
