Wild animals encroach upon human territory in the Kitam Bird Sanctuary area

AFFECTED FARMERS COMMITTEE FORMED TO ADDRESS CONCERNS
NAMCHI, 07 Nov: The farmers residing in the areas adjacent to the Kitam Bird Sanctuary met at Kitam haat-shed yesterday to discuss the damages caused in the area due to the intrusion of wild animals in the area.
The meeting, chaired by Zilla Panchayat member of the area, Buddha Tamang, expressed concern and anxiety over the rampant damage of farm and farm produce by wild boars, peacocks (peafowl), monkeys, barking deers etc. The meeting also lent an ear to the grievances of the farmers regarding loss of their paddy crop ravaged by wild boars, monkeys and vegetables like bean, pulses etc. by peacocks.
Some of the farmers were quite hesitant to harvest the paddy that has been badly affected. The meeting also expressed concerns over the rise in wild boar population in the area in the past few years, spilling into human habitation which may pose a threat to people’s lives in the near future.
The meeting formed an Affected Farmers Committee, Kitam Bird sanctuary area comprising the representative farmers of Lower Kitam, Kitam, Belbotay, Manpur, Lower Goam and Compound. The meeting also decided to approach Minister for Forest, Env. & Wildlife Management Department, seeking either compensation for the damages or permanent alternative/solution to the problem. The meeting also decided to seek help from the media towards finding a solution to this problem.