Amidst a flurry of promises made by the authorities concerned, the forest fringe villages of Kottayam continue to endure raging attacks from wildlife, giving sleepless nights to the settler farming community.
According to villagers, there has been a steady rise in wildlife sightings near human habitations and the straying of these animals have caused widespread damage to a variety of crops such as plantain, cocoa trees and even coconut trees.
The problem is especially rampant in Koruthodu, Kottickal, Mundakayam, Erumely panchayats in Kottayam. Despite a flurry of pleas, the authorities have failed to initiate any fruitful action to check the menace, prompting several of these farmers to abandon their land once and for all.
“Over and above the loss of crops, the farmers have also started fearing for their lives in view of the recurring attacks on the live stock by dangerous animals,” pointed out a farmer living in Pampavalley village, Erumely.
Flooded with a flurry of complaints, Poonjar legislator Sebastian Kulathungal raised the issue in the Assembly through a submission and urged the government to bring amendments in the Forest and Wildlife Act to strengthen preventive measures against wild animals in the forest boundaries.
Responding to the submission, Forest Minister A. K. Saseendran said an expert committee would be formed to examine the possibilities of bringing amendments in the law from the limits of the State. This apart, measures will be strengthened to prevent wild animals from entering farmlands and due compensation will be given to farmers who incurred loss due to wild animal attacks, the Minister said.
In his submission, the legislator had pointed to a disproportionate rise in the population of wild animals with respect to the area of the forests.
“The food and water for the wild animals inside the forest are not enough and hence they come out of the forest and destroy the agricultural lands. It poses a grave threat to human life as well,” he said, pointing out the death of two people in the attack of wild buffalo (Indian bison) in May this year.
Mr.Kulathungal also urged the State government to exert pressure on the Union government to amend the Central Forest Act and the Central Wildlife Protection Act.
