Agri, forest dept requested farmers not to put fencing wires around fields

Hyderabad: The Agriculture and Forest departments have jointly requested farmers not to put up electrical fencing and concertina wires around their fields to prevent damage to crops by wild boars as culling powers have been given to Panchayat Raj institutions.

At a meeting conducted through video conference to ensure coordination between Agriculture, Forest and Panchayat Raj departments, officials advised the farmers not to put up electrical fencing or concertina wires at any cost as both farmers and other wild animals were meeting with tragic end.

Principal Secretary (Agriculture) B Janardhan Reddy and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R Shobha advised sarpanches and other elected representatives to educate farmers on the issue and if necessary, the inaugural ceremonies of Rythu Vedikas could be utilised for this purpose.

Officials also discussed issues pertaining to identification of wild boars and their culling apart from disposal of carcasses. The forest department issued guidelines a few days ago appointing sarpanches as Honorary Wildlife Wardens (HWW) for issuing permission for culling of wild boars that damage agriculture and horticulture standing crops outside protected and reserve forest areas.

The government has also authorised Chief Wildlife Warden to delegate his or her powers to sarpanches appointed as HWWs to permit culling of wild boars that have become dangerous to human life and property outside the forest areas for a year subject to compliance with conditions.

The sarpanch must take action only on written complaint from farmers, and the sarpanch along with village elders and farmers should visit the location for investigation and assess the situation to draw up a ‘panchanama.’

If the situation warrants hunting of wild boars, the recommendation to that effect should be mentioned in the ‘panchanama.’ The sarpanch will issue permission to hunt the specified number of wild boars in the area concerned. The sarpanch must maintain a record of all the permissions issued for hunting wild boars in a register.

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