Shimla: Farmers facing the brunt of an overgrown population of monkeys that are damaging crops have drawn up plans for a mass culling operation of the simians.
Taking the lead Kuldeep Tanwar, convener of the ‘Kheti Bacho Sangarsh Samiti’ said, “the wild life authority had relented to our demand for issuing permits to shoot animals damaging crops so as to relieve the farmers from the menace of monkeys and wild boars.â€
The samiti has also given a state level call for launching ‘mass culling operations’ to save crops. “The mass culling operation would begin on 10th December , the World Human Right’s Dayand to continue till 23rd December – the Farmer’s Day, said Tanwar.
He added “since the government has been unable to provide any relief from the animals, farmers have been forced to pick up their guns as their very source of livelihood was threatened.’
The samiti has asked the government, the opposition and other organizations to desist from interfering with the farmers action or they would have to face the wrath of the public in the forthcoming panchayat elections.
Tanwar claimed that wild animals were causing a crop loss of Rs 2000 crore to the farming community annually on account of crop damages or land being left uncultivated because of the menace. Livlihoods of about 10 lakh households is endangered as over 50,000 hectares of land has been rendered barren because of the animal problem, he said.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
