Chirag Gupta
Patna: A review meeting was held at Aranya Bhawan under the chairmanship of Dr. Prem Kumar, Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bihar, to address the growing issue of Neelgai damaging crops and threatening farmers’ livelihoods across the state. The meeting included senior officials from the departments of environment, forest, climate change, agriculture, and Panchayati Raj.
It was noted that Neelgai, found in non-forest areas, have been causing extensive damage to agricultural crops and properties in almost all blocks of Bihar. With current measures proving ineffective, the decision to control the population of Neelgai by hunting them has been made under Section 11(1)(B) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
To implement this, a coordinated effort will be made between district police, forest officials, agriculture officers, and Panchayati Raj officers. A campaign will begin this month in Vaishali, East Champaran, Buxar, Siwan, and Samastipur, with instructions to work in collaboration to manage the increasing Neelgai threat. A strategy to handle the situation was laid out to ensure the success of the campaign.
In response to the damage, the authority to permit the hunting of Neelgai has been delegated to Gram Panchayat heads under specified conditions. Panchayats in severely affected areas can allow the killing of up to 50 Neelgai at a time, using registered hunters from an 11-member panel prepared by the department.
Additionally, provisions for compensation have been made, with farmers eligible for up to Rs. 50,000 per hectare in case of crop damage caused by Neelgai.
