To:
Shri. Prakash Javadekar
Minister, Independent Charge
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Subject: Indiscriminate culling of wild species as 'vermin' will worsen the problem.
Honorable Minister,
Human-wildlife conflict is a serious matter, especially when it comes to crop depredation by wild herbivores. While it is absolutely essential to create and implement conflict mitigation strategies, the current manner in which state governments, with the support of the Centre, are dealing with the problem is both unscientific and dangerous.
Over the past few months, several states have received approval to declare certain wild species, such as wild boar and nilgai, as vermin in order to allow for their culling. In states like Telangana, individuals no longer even require permission from the concerned forest department to kill wild boar.
This blanket policy of indiscriminate killing of 'problem' animals allows much room for misuse. Culling wildlife without a proper understanding of the ground situation, a lack of clarity on necessary protocols and permissions, and inept monitoring and regulation will have dire consequences on an area's ecological balance. Wild ungulates make up a significant proportion of the prey base of apex predators like tigers and leopards, outside PAs. If populations of these herbivores are reduced, it stands to reason that domestic livestock will be the optional choice for dispersing predators and those that live in buffers and corridors.
Additionally, if farmers/individuals are encouraged to take up trapping or poisoning of 'vermin' species we can be sure that collateral damage will take place of other species, such as crows, mongoose, and deer. In some states, individuals have taken to glorifying their role as shikaris. A case in point is the November 2015 incident where social media images of the Katol constituency MLA, Ashish Deshmukh posing with the carcass of a nilgai, with a gun proudly displayed, were circulated widely.
I reiterate, it is imperative that we to redress the genuine problem of crop depredation, but 'quick-fix' solutions will merely aggravate the human-animal conflict. I urge you to consult with wildlife experts and researchers to explore the potential of non-invasive conflict mitigation measures, ensure suitable compensation to farmers whose crops are raided, and instate regulations to safeguard the exploitation of wildlife through hunting in the name of culling.
By policy direction, each state should necessarily work with a team of field biologists and scientists to strategise and formulate customised guidelines on conflict mitigation. Over the decades, Indian scientists, conservationists and researchers have established enviable reputations in the global community for on-ground conservation based on hard science.
I believe it should be possible for you to provide the necessary leadership so the myriad problems of human-wildlife conflict can be mitigated, or reduced, without blindly following ‘kill and solve' practices that have been borrowed from nations that should in fact take their cue from India on how to live with nature and wild species.
Yours truly,
Bittu Sahgal
