-Pema Lama Banepa
Banepa, April 8: Nawaraj Sapkota, a local farmer of Panauti municipality-3, Telmale, Kushadevi was forced to quit his occupation after growing wildlife rampage lately.
His annual income from vegetable farming ranges from Rs 200,000 to Rs 400,000. But he could not resist wildlife rampage and leave the land uncultivated this time.
“Though I am still doing good from cattle-rearing, I was compelled to give up vegetable farming due to wildlife rampage”, he added. Laxman Humagain of ward number 2 also has a similar story. He has sought support from the concerned authority to check rampage of boar, which has been destroying his farming since long.
Another farmer Ram Prasad Banjara of ward-3 also poured out disappointment caused by boar rampage. “I had planted grass in 40 ropanis land for cattle. But the wildlife has destroyed everything”. Besides, the wildlife also has caused heavy damage to wheat farming, he added.
Similarly, Bhim Prasad Ghimire, another local farmer from ward-3, said there has been increasing life threat from beasts. Purushottam Adhikari, chair of ward-2, said the wildlife interference has increased in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake.
There is no authority to local government to take the decision and act to control wildlife anti-human activities, he added. Bhim Neupane, municipality mayor, said the local government has set up a relief fund to reduce disaster risks and it would be mobilised to render relief to victim farmers . RSS
