Khandapara: The increase in population of wild boars in almost all the reserved areas under Khandapara forest range in Nayagarh district has become a bane for farmers and boon for poachers these days.
Jagannath Prasad, Kosika, Singhapada, Benagadia, Gopinathpur, Banapur, Ghanasalia, Balaramprasad, Patharachakada, Madhapur, Hanumantaprasad, Baunsabati and Mahulaberana are some of the areas under the Khandapara Assembly constituency where farmers have to sleep with their eyes virtually open. If they don’t do so, the boar herds simply decimate their agriculture produces.
“Every evening, these wild animals are invading our paddy, sugarcane and colocasia crops, leaving us at our wits end. We have already tried all possible measures to drive them away but to no avail,” rued some of the farmers.
Vegetable growers on the bank of Kusumi river have the same plight to share. They said they are losing their crops to the marauding boars.
But, the poachers are having a field day. They are poaching the boars with ease. When the boars come to drink water, the poachers catch them with wire traps.
Poaching has become a regular affair in the villages of Banamalipur, Ranichheli, Bahada, Ranipada, Jogiapalli, Singhapada, Kiajhar, Bodasa, Kosaka and Gadiasahi under Khandapara block. The forest department seems to have turned a blind eye to this development.
However, poachers are also causing headaches to the local residents by snapping electric poles and wires. Whenever, they see any danger, the poachers just cut off the electric cables and vanish under the guise of darkness. In the process, a large number of villages are plunged into darkness for lengthy periods.
When contacted, Khandapara ranger Shreedhar Panda said he would take steps to check poaching after investigating the allegations made.
PNN