Crop damage: Farmers to go for mass culling of wild animals from Dec 10

In protest against the governments alleged failure to tackle the menace of wild animals on crops,farmer groups in the state have declared to launch a mass culling drive from December 10 to 23,when monkeys,langurs,wild boars,nilgais,rabbits,wolves,parrots,sambhars,deer and jungle fowl will be killed on random sighting.

In protest against the governments alleged failure to tackle the menace of wild animals on crops,farmer groups in the state have declared to launch a mass culling drive from December 10 to 23,when monkeys,langurs,wild boars,nilgais,rabbits,wolves,parrots,sambhars,deer and jungle fowl will be killed on random sighting.

Bats will be targeted,too,as they have caused heavy losses to horticulturists in the apple belt.

This was announced by the Kheti Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (KBSS),formed to raise voice against destruction of agriculture and cash crops by wild animals.

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Samiti state convenor Kuldeep Tanwar said the government had been shirking its responsibility on the issue,saying farmers should protect their crops on their own. Therefore,in the next 15 days,thousands of farmers from across the state will be mobilised by the KBSS to submit applications to the conservators of forests and divisional forest officers,seeking permission to cull the wild animals causing destruction. As per directions of the principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) issued to all forest officials on November 3,we expect to get the permission within a day. Otherwise,farmers will go ahead with the drive on their own, said Tanwar.

A lot of applications have already been received,with 400 in Shimla district alone. The number of applications in the next 15 days will exceed the total applications of them received by the government since 1983,when hunting of wild animals was banned in the state, claimed Tanwar.

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