THE GOAN NETWORK
VALPOI
The movement of bison has increased considerably in Sattari taluka over the past few days, posing a serious threat to agricultural producers.
Complaints of gaurs and other wild animals entering farms and plantations located close to dense forest areas and damaging standing crops have been on the rise.
In the latest incident, the vegetable farm of Rima Ramesh Melekar of Maigine in Guleli village, was damaged by a herd of gaurs, causing a significant financial setback to the Melekar family.
Rima Melekar has been cultivating vegetables for several years. This year too, she had undertaken vegetable cultivation on a large scale. Her farm included crops such as okra, cucumber, ridge gourd and other vegetables.
She was expecting good returns from the produce, particularly during the Ganesh Chaturthi season when there is considerable demand for locally grown fresh vegetables.
However, two days ago, a herd of bison suddenly entered the plantation during daytime and damaged her crops.
The damage has affected not only the crops but also the family’s investment in seeds, fertilisers, plant protection measures, labour and irrigation.
“We had cultivated vegetables on a large scale this year and were expecting a good financial return. However, the sudden entry of bison destroyed a considerable portion of the crop. The forest department should take the issue seriously and implement immediate measures to control the problem,” Rima Melekar said.
Sattari taluka has extensive forest cover, and several villages have agricultural fields and plantations located close to forest areas. As a result, the movement of wild animals into human settlements and agricultural land has become a longstanding concern for farmers.
Bison entering agricultural fields can cause extensive damage within a short period. In some cases, months of hard work and considerable expenditure incurred by farmers can be lost within a few hours.
Local residents have been raising concerns over the increasing movement of bison in villages located close to forest areas in Sattari for several years. Farmers are demanding that the forest department identify vulnerable locations and undertake effective preventive measures.
They have also called for prompt field inspections by the forest department and timely compensation to eligible farmers according to applicable rules.
When crops are damaged by wild animals, farmers claimed that they are required to undergo the process of inspection and preparation of a damage assessment report before compensation can be considered.
Farmers maintain that the process should be made faster so that the actual extent of damage can be recorded immediately after an incident.
