PERNEM: Pernem farmers mostly those who share geographical boundaries with the neighbouring State of Maharashtra are spending sleepless nights desperately trying to protect their crops from the marauding bison in the taluka.
Farmers stated wild animals especially bison have been wreaking havoc in lbrampur Hankhane, Chandel and Hasapur by damaging their crops at nights.
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The distressed ryots lamented that during the last decade, they have a nightmare warding off the bison at nights who directly enter their fields and damage their banana, sugarcane, paddy, chillies and other crops.
“Most of the bison move around in large herds and scarcity of fodder and water and forces them to raid and damage crops,” said farmers
Ryots claimed that they have knocked the doors of the Forest Department but no concrete solution was found to the vexatious issue till date.
“The department has installed electric fencing along the border of the forest but it doesn’t seem to deter the wild animals from invading the fields and destroying the crops,” said farmers.
At present, farmers here toil hard during the day and keep a watch on their crops at nights taking shelter in the makeshift mashans, which they say is risky given the fact that various wild animals prowl the area in the dark.
There have been instances in the past where herds of bison have destroyed okra and brinjal plantations in Alorna causing immense loss to farmers. The solar power fencing too has not helped at all as it is not extended to the entire area and farmers face the brunt of the wild animal’s wrath almost everyday.
Ranjit Parab, a farmer said, “I have been planting okra and brinjal for the last three years by taking a field on lease. This year, however I could not recover a penny as the bisons damaged my entire field.”
In Ibrampur-Hankhane, farmers have to face the brunt of the wild animals every day. Bison, peacocks and pigeons extensively damage paddy, chillies, sugarcane, banana and other crops.
“Agriculture activity in our village is diminishing. While floods damage our fields during the rains, wild animals do equal damage if not more. How are we to surive in a situation like this,” asked another farmer Sudhir Dhavaskar from Ibrampur.
Another farmer said that bison often jump over the solar power fencing and it stops working even it is slightly damaged.
“Compensation is not our priority but we want the department concerned to come up with a permanent solution to this issue because if this continues then soon farmers will have to abandon agriculture,” said another farmer Devendra Mathkar.
