Shimla, May 18: Even as the human-animal conflict in Himachal Pradesh has grown louder than ever before, not a single farmers’ organisation has been included in the newly reconstituted Himachal Pradesh Wildlife Board, triggering strong reactions from the Himachal Kisan Sabha.
Welcoming the reconstitution of the board under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 headed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Kisan Sabha nevertheless termed the exclusion of farmer bodies as “deeply unfortunate” at a time when rural Himachal is battling an unprecedented rise in attacks by monkeys, wild boars, langurs, peacocks and nilgai.
In a statement issued on Sunday, State President Dr. Kuldip Singh Tanwar said the very communities bearing the brunt of crop destruction, livestock attacks and growing threats to human life had been left out of the decision-making process. He said the absence of farmers’ representation raises serious questions when cultivators are the biggest stakeholders in the worsening wildlife crisis.
The Sabha demanded that the newly formed board urgently address the spiralling human-animal conflict, which has increasingly turned into a livelihood and public safety issue across the hill state.
It sought immediate revision in compensation for crop losses, injuries, deaths and attacks on domestic animals, saying the present compensation structure is far below actual losses suffered by villagers.
The organisation claimed that sustained struggles by farmers’ groups since 2005 forced amendments in wildlife laws, including measures allowing monkey population control in Himachal Pradesh.
However, it warned that the problem has now spread far beyond monkeys, with wild boars and nilgai emerging as major threats in districts like Sirmaur, Solan, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Kangra.
The Kisan Sabha also cited alarming reports of more than 100 monkey and stray dog bite cases being reported daily in the state and called for immediate intervention by the government.
Demanding collective action, the Sabha urged Chief Minister Sukhu to convene a meeting of all stakeholders, including farmer organisations, wildlife experts, forest officials and public representatives, to find a permanent and practical solution to Himachal Pradesh’s intensifying human-animal conflict.
#HimachalPradesh #HumanWildlifeConflict #FarmersCrisis #WildlifeBoard
