Ranpur: Farmers of Ranpur area in Nayagarh district are worried about their crops after a herd of wild boars repeatedly sneaked into human settlements from nearby Mala reserve forest and damaged standing crops on large tracts of farmland.
It is major concern of farmers who cultivate paddy for the whole year. Their yearlong hard work is under siege and the wild boars are straying into the habitations lured by the ripened crop.
While the boar herd feed upon the standing crops, they damage most of it by crushing over and trampling the produce. Even though the affected farmers throng the Forest Office on a daily basis with complaints of crop destruction, the concerned officials are dawdling on the matter and are yet to take any action in driving away the intruders.
The farmers want the officials to conduct assessment on the damage and to compensate them. Resentment among the farmers has started brewing over the apathetic attitude of the forest officials.
Under the scenario, denizens of the villages under Ranpur forest range of Nayagarh Forest Division are spending sleepless nights to guard their farmlands from the wild boars that are sneaking into the croplands from nearby jungles and wreaking havoc.
According to reports, as a herd comprises of around 50 boars, villagers fail to save their crops despite repeated efforts to ward off the raiders. The farmers who are all set for reaping their paddy in Khariff season are suffering under this boar menace.
Monday, more than eleven acres of standing crops belonging to Laxmidhar Behera, Prafulla Behera and Pramila Behera were completely damaged by a herd of wild boars when it fed upon the crops and was fleeing back to the jungle in a wild stampede.
After repeated complaints from the affected farmers, forest officials visited the aforementioned spot and started an investigation after assessment of the damage caused by boar menace.
PNN