Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Kerala Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Central Government to make necessary amendments in the relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act to address the escalating man-animal conflict in the state.
The resolution was moved by Forest Minister A K Saseendran under Rule 118 of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Assembly. The resolution wanted an amendment in the Act so as to grant permission to cull a wild animal which has become a threat to human life and also simplify the norms and procedures accordingly. Besides, it wanted that wild boar, which has posed a major threat to human life and crops in the state, be declared vermin.
The resolution sought an amendment to the section 11 (1) (a) of the Act, which empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to permit any person to kill a wild animal specified in schedule one if the officer feels that it has become dangerous to human life or is severely disabled or sick beyond recovery.
The state government wanted that the powers given to the chief wildlife warden be delegated to the chief forest conservators for taking immediate steps.
The government wanted wild boar to be declared as vermin as per section 62 of the Act. Once declared vermin, culling of wild boars, which create havoc in agricultural land, would be permitted for a certain period.
Referring to the Assembly resolution, BJP leader and union minister V Muraleedharan tweeted, “shameful that @CPIMKerala has made it a habit to pass on all its failures onto the shoulders of GoI to divert people’s attention from @pinarayivijayan ‘s inefficiencies in governing Kerala. @CPIMKerala orchestrated a drama on Finances first & now using Legislature to peddle lies.’’
He alleged that the motion passed in the Assembly on Wednesday blaming the central government for hiding the state’s failure to tackle the man-animal conflict exposed the fault lines in its governance.
Last week, a wild elephant had stormed into a gated house in Wayanad district and trampled a farmer to death, triggering massive protests in the state, which has been witnessing a spike in human casualty due to animal attacks. The radio-collared elephant is still elusive although the state forest department has deployed a 200-member team to track the animal and tranquilize it.
On Tuesday, Opposition UDF legislators had marched to the house of the forest minister seeking his resignation for the government’s failure in addressing the issue.
Meanwhile, a tiger that got trapped in a fence at a farmland in Kannur district on Tuesday died while being shifted to a zoo in Thrissur after administering tranquiliser shots.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
