The Centre has declined yet another request made by the State government to declare wild pigs as vermin.
The decision has met with protests in various parts of the State with Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran terming the move as unacceptable.
In reply to a plea by Mr. Saseendran, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav wrote back on April 12 to raise concern on the repercussions of granting the State’s demand. Pointing out that declaring wild pigs as vermin would result in indiscriminate killing of the animal and thereby disturb the balance of ecosystem, Mr. Yadav stressed on the species’ role in the ecosystem.
“I would like to appraise you that wild pig is one of the main prey species for large carnivores like tigers and leopards. It also helps in checking the population of invertebrate pests...The provisions of Section 11(1) B of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 should therefore be used by the State government for specific management of wild pig without adversely affecting the state of ecosystem,” Mr. Yadav wrote.
The State government had previously proposed declaring the species as vermin in over 400 villages that were classified as hotspots. However, such efforts too had been futile.
Accusing the Centre of adopting an apathetic stance in considering the woes of farmers who suffered due to frequent crop raids, Mr. Saseendran flayed the refusal to accept the State’s oft-repeated demand to declare wild pig as vermin for a year as had been done in Uttarakhand and Bihar in 2016.
Such a decision would have brought immense relief to the people of the State. While the State would continue to pursue all possible legal means in the issue, the government would extend the validity of its order to permit hunting of wild pigs that destroy crops for another year, he said.
