The farmers’ representatives complained that wild boars were causing extensive damage to the standing crops on fields abutting the reserve forests.
Forest Department should take effective steps to put an end to this menace, they told a grievances redress meeting.
They said that wild boars were causing a nuisance in Thammampatti, and Ramanayakkanpalayam which were closer to reserve forests.
The farmers suffer heavy financial losses, they said adding that the matter had already been brought to the notice of the Attur forest division officials.
Many of them pleaded with the forest department to remove wild boar from Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act.An official said that the department had already written to the government to remove wild boar from Schedule VI. The department will erect electric fence, in areas where wild boar menace was severe.
N. Elango, Joint Director of Agriculture, said that the department will sanction compensation for the crop loss if the farmers made proper representation in this regard.
“The agriculture department and forest department officials will conduct joint inspection to fix the quantum of compensation,” he said.
The farmers said that there was not much awareness among the farming community on the government compensation. N. Krishnamoorthy, a progressive farmer of Thumbal, said that a few people of the villages in Attur forest division have been attacked by bears. Such attacks have become a recurring incident.
The forest department should provide compensation to those affected.When the Attur Forest Department official said that the department will take steps to provide compensation if applications were made, the District Collector, V. Sampath, directed the forest officials to collect the petitions and initiate immediate action.
A.R. Shanmugam of Panamarathupatti raised the issue of crops being destroyed by pigs reared by people in the villages.
Collector asks Forest Department officials to take immediate action
