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Bull-dozers scare grips Bundelkhand villages
Stretching approximately 10 kilometres between Pailani and Pipahari villages in banda, this wilderness, dominated by acacia (babool) trees and barren land, has become a battleground for man and beast.
From the reign of dreaded dacoits to the rule of untamed beasts, the wilderness surrounding Kaknara Baba forests and the banks of the Ken River in Bundelkhand, has seen a dramatic shift. Once the domain of dreaded dacoits Shiv Kumar Dadua, Ramkaran, Ambika Patel Thokia and Sudesh Kol Balkhariya, this land has now been taken over by herds of forest buffalo, wild bulls, and rogue elephants, striking palpable fear into the hearts of villagers.
Stretching approximately 10 kilometres between Pailani and Pipahari villages in banda, this wilderness, dominated by acacia (babool) trees and barren land, has become a battleground for man and beast. Despite numerous attempts to drive away the wildlife, they persist, trampling over crops and wreaking havoc without mercy.
Retired Subedar Major Virendra Singh of Jauharpur village on Banda-Chitrakoot border has been waging a war against this menace for over two years. He describes how, regardless of the time of day, these animals with their speed and strength outmatch even horses, posing a significant challenge to those attempting to deter them, virtually making it impossible to safeguard standing crops in the fields.
Sumit Kumar, head of the Alona gram panchayat, laments the plight of farmers who are unable to tend to their lands due to the terror of these wild animals. With vast swathes of agricultural land lying fallow and crops abandoned, the region faces an agricultural crisis of monumental proportions.
“ The total agricultural land area is 7000 bighas while farming is taking place only on 3,000 bighas. Rest lie unused in this region, with crops left unattended due to the constant threat posed by the wildlife,” he said, adding that all the steps, which were taken at the local level, have failed.
Recent attacks have left farmers like Shivanayak Singh hospitalised. “My sons are scared of going to fields. God knows if this problem is going to be solved.”
In areas like Jauharpur and Bendaghat, encroachment by forest buffalo and wild bulls has forced farmers to desert their fields, compounding the agricultural woes of the region.
In response to the escalating crisis, a tranquiliser team from Agra has been called in to capture and relocate the wild bulls. District forest officer Arvind Kumar says that efforts are underway to contain this menace, “but the challenges are formidable”.
