Attacks from wildlife must be stopped

The cabinet has approved the draft bill that empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to order the killing of wild animals that enter residential areas and pose a threat to people, domestic animals, etc. The bill will become a law if it receives the assent of the President once it is passed in the assembly. With this, one of the biggest problems faced by the hill people of Kerala is receiving a solution. The problem of wild boars is what is keeping many farmers away from farming in the hilly areas. The entire effort and money of the farmer who cultivates his land using his own money and the money he has loaned from someone can be destroyed overnight by the wild boar herds.

It is not possible to kill the boars due to legal obstacles. If anyone dared to do so, the Forest Department would come out against them in full fury. Whenever the boar problem became serious, the Forest Minister used to say that the Centre would not allow the boars to be declared vermin. No problem will be resolved administratively if the Centre and the State continue to blame each other, except that it will become a source of controversy. The state government has taken an approach distinct from the old methods by approving the draft bill. The state government has also provided for the power to declare any wild animal in Schedule II as a vermin. This is expected to be a good step in preventing wild boar disturbance in the hilly areas in the future.

This is the first time that a state government has framed such a bill. Therefore, the state expects the President to give her assent without delay if the bill is passed by the assembly. The disturbance from wild boars and stray dogs is a serious problem facing Kerala. It should have been resolved earlier rather than creating political controversies between the centre and the state. Although late, the government's move to put an end to the attacks from wild animals is commendable. It is not just agricultural crops that have been lost due to wild boars. Several two-wheeler riders have lost their lives, and some have been seriously injured in accidents involving wild boars jumping in front of vehicles.

Five people have died in accidents involving wild boars jumping in front of vehicles in the past six years in Pathanamthitta district alone. More than a hundred people have been injured. The High Court had also demanded that a legal measure be formulated to deal with the wild boar menace. At the same time, there is a possibility that the new law will be misused. The possibility of anti-social elements taking this as an opportunity to hunt wild animals cannot be completely ruled out. Therefore, the concerned forest department officials and the police need to be more vigilant and careful in this regard.