MP Forest Department Wants To Allow Killing Of Nilgai, Wild Boars Which Damage Crops

Bhopal, Jan 30 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh forest department has sent a draft to the state government to allow the killing of 'nilgai' and wild boars which damage crops of farmers, an official said on Sunday.

Following strict rules issued in 2000 and 2003 pertaining to the hunting of blue bulls and boars, respectively, no animal was killed, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Alok Kumar told PTI.

The state government now wants to simplify the rules following complaints from farmers that their crops were being destroyed by these animals, sources in the forest department said.

Madhya Pradesh, specially western part of the state, has a huge population of nilgai (blue bulls) and wild boars.

The MP forest department has sent a draft to the state government to allow killing of these animals which damage crops, and the government in-turn has sought the opinion of MLAs on it, Kumar said.

As per the draft, a person having a licensed firearm has to seek permission from forest authorities to kill a nilgai or wild boar, the official said.

He said according to the draft, after seeking permission, a person would be allowed to kill five nilgai and as many wild boars in a year for damaging crops outside the forest area.

“We want to simplify the procedure under the new rules,” the official added.

In 2012, the MP government had tried to simplify rules for the hunting/killing of these two animals, but faced strong opposition from animal rights activists, including Maneka Gandhi, and some religious leaders, said Sartaj Singh, who was the state's forest minister at that time.

“Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had then told me to drop the idea after stiff resistance. Let's see what will happen this time around,'' he told PTI over phone, noting that these two animals were causing huge crop losses.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)