Increasing population of wild boars in several villages of north Kashmir is creating problems for the farmers there. The animals destroy the crops in the fields causing heavy losses.
The villagers say the wild boars are damaging crops including paddy and maize, besides vegetables. According to them if something is not done immediately about it, the losses would be very high.
The farmers said that their hard work in cultivation of these crops is getting wasted and they will not be having anything to eat if the situation continues like this. They are demanding intervention of concerned authorities and their help in this connection.
According to them even as the matter was brought into the notice of local officials nothing was done to protect the crops from wild boars. The authorities must do something about it and help the farmers to avoid further losses.
The officials must reach out to the farmers and guide them. Measures must be taken for the management of the wild boars to prevent the damage to the crops. Wild boars are not native species. According to experts the animals were brought here during the time of Maharaja Gulab Singh.
In mid 1980s it was being believed that they have completely vanished from here. The animal was again spotted in 2013 and since 2018 their population increased drastically. The increasing population is posing threat to crops and the farmers are having a tough time.
According to reports, the presence of wild boars in large numbers has made the wildlife department conduct research on them to know their impact on ecology. Officials say that as of now there is no official census carried out for wild boars.
They said that the department will study their presence and make a management plan for them. The farmers say that the wild boars damage the crops during night.
The animals move in groups and destroy crops within no time. Experts says their near extinction in mid 1980s was perhaps because of the unfavourable weather conditions in Kashmir for them.
But now the climate change can be a reason for their return as Kashmir has been witnessing slightly warm temperature during winter also for last several years.
The experts added that the increase in population of wild boars in north Kashmir may be also because it is located near LoC.
The authorities in consultation with the farmers in the affected villages must find out ways to minimise or put an end to the damage being caused to crops by the wild boars. This problem needs a solution at the earliest.