The Hindu, October 4, 2014
A three-member committee of wildlife experts has been
formed in the State to study the damage caused by wild boars to the
forest ecosystem and small wild animals and to compare the measures
adopted by developed countries in facing the ‘mishap caused by wild
pigs.’
The State Forest Department formed the committee following an order issued by the Kerala State Human Rights Commission.
Quoting
from a petition filed before the panel by M.L. Augusthi of Idukki and
N. Devarajan of Koduman grama panchayat, Commission chairman J.B. Koshy
directed that the Forest Department study how the issue was handled in
developed countries such as the U.S., Australia and Britain.
The
experts were asked to report on the destruction caused by the wild pigs
to ‘agriculture as well as to the ecosystem’ and, most particularly,
comprehend the ‘threat faced by the living organisms, especially human
beings,’ from the wild animal.
Petitioners’ plea
The
petitioners had contended that the animals were one of the causative
factors for the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. They argued that
developed countries were giving priority to curb the population of the
crop-raiding wild boar population.
An order issued by
the Chief Wildlife Warden of Kerala after constituting the committee
pointed out that the Commission had summarised the relevant portions of
the petition that ‘there was no impediment even in developed countries
for the trapping, shooting, killing and making use of the flesh of the
wild boars causing damage to the land owners.’
The
Wildlife Warden had also indicated that ‘according to the Commission,
there was huge increase in the population of the wild pigs fore to
excessive breeding like rats.’
M. Amruth, scientist,
Kerala Forest Research Institute; P.O. Nameer, Associate Professor,
Kerala Agricultural University; and P. Pugazhendi, Chief Conservator of
Forest (Southern Circle), are members of the three-member committee
constituted by the Wildlife Warden. The committee has been asked to
submit its report within 30 days.
The Commission has
also directed the Forest Department to furnish a statement on the
compensation paid to farmers whose agricultural produces were destroyed
by crop-raiding wild boars.
0 comments:
Post a Comment