The Bihar is set to launch a drive to cull 'Ghodparas', popularly known as 'Nilgai' (blue bulls) and wild boars in five districts where these animals have been causing widespread damage to crops. In a statement issued by the state's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, the government said the drive will be launched this month to deal with the Nilgai menace which causes a huge loss to the farmers.
The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by state Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prem Kumar on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the cull drive will be conducted in the most affected districts - Vaishali, East Champaran, Buxar, Siwan and Samastipur - as per the "laid down procedures".
"Officials concerned shall be empowered to cull up to 50 such animals at a time in districts where the problem is grave," it added.
"A strategy has to be prepared before launching a drive to kill Ghodparas and wild boars in the affected areas. Officials of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Agriculture and Panchayati Raj departments will jointly prepare a strategy to launch the culling drive in their respective districts. The role of the mukhiyas (village heads) is important in the entire process right from killing the animals to their burial," the statement said.
Professional shooters to be empanelled
All village heads will have to engage 11 empanelled professional shooters of the environment department to kill the animals of these two species with utmost caution, it said, adding that almost all districts in the state have been affected by the menace.
According to rough estimates, the total number of Ghodparas in these districts is around 3 lakh, whereas the population of wild boars is around 67,000, a senior official said.
"These two animals move in herds and destroy acres of crops in a day. Farmers sit out all night to protect their ripening crops from Nilgai and wild boars in certain districts in the state. Both Ghodparas (Nilgai) and wild boars are vermin and can be killed but with laid down procedures," he clarified.
Not only crop damage, encounters with Nilgai can also cause road accidents, he said, adding that human lives have been lost due to man-animal conflict, along with loss of crops and valuable property.
The government also gives compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare to farmers whose crops have been damaged by these two animals, the statement said.
(With PTI inputs)
