Forest officials inspect orchards for damage by wild animals in Sadolxem

CANACONA, DEC 1
Forest officials on Wednesday inspected about 20 horticulture orchards in Sadolxem-Canacona, as villagers’ cries for protection from rampaging monkeys and other wild animals to their horticulture crops, including coconut plantations.
It may be recalled that after the Poinguinim MLA convened a meeting with forest and agriculture officials last month, forest department received over 150 applications from residents of Poinguinim claiming government compensation for the damages to their horticulture crops caused by monkeys and other wild animals.
Residents complained of mass destructions of their horticulture crops, including coconut plantations, mostly by rampaging monkeys of Langoor breed (Khetem) in the last few months.
Accordingly, a committee was formed under Deputy Conservator of Forests and SDFO Canacona Ramesh Gauns Dessai with Canacona Mamlatdar Chandrakant Shetkar, ZAO Rajesh Dessai, RFO Narayan Dessai as other executive members.
As part of their inspection, the team visited Sadolxem and inspected about 20 claimants who filed for government compensations.
It is learnt through the sources that the team observed horticulture destruction of approximately 90 per cent including that of coconut grooves during the first part of their investigations at Sadolxem alone.
“Rest of the areas will be inspected based on the applications received in the days to come,” informed a forest source.