Man and wild life conflict in Palamu Tiger Reserve is likely to take a worse turn. The elephants are rampaging standing crops. And crop damage compensation comes year late. The result is farmers get disenchanted and a sense of revenge against wildlife gets high.
The ranger of the Betla range where comes the National Park Nathuni Singh admitted that lack of fund for compensation is causing immense resentment among the farmers whose standing crops have been destroyed or damaged by the elephant. Sonu Yadav (38) and Indradeo Yadav (39) are two such farmers of Matnaag village in the core area of the Palamu Tiger Reserve who have lost their standing crops to the elephants. The two said they have lost maize in their fields spanning 20 to 25 decimals.
According to ranger Nathuni Singh crop damage compensation comes like this: Rs 2,000 for one acre loss of standing crop. Rs 2,00,000 when life is lost by wild life. For serious injuries caused by wildlife it is Rs 1.5 lakh for treatment. And for minor injuries it is Rs 50,000.
However sources said getting compensation is highly tedious. A farmer whose crop is damaged or destroyed is to produce land paper including jama bandi receipt. Then the damaged area is surveyed by anchal ( revenue official and PTR official). Weeks elapse in it. Palms are to be greased for taking compensation said sources.
Sources said in times like scarcity of food crop damage by elephant is a serious shock to farmers and their anger soars high against wild life especially the elephant. The recovery of a highly decomposed body of an elephant in compartment II of National Park Betla on October 11 points towards the raging conflict between the man and the wildlife . Sources said the body is so great mutilated that no post mortem can be done to find out the reason.
Palamu Tiger Reserve has history of wild life given poison to death. One tigress fondly called Begum was found poisoned to death in her den in the park in the mid nineties. In the year 2012 one elephant was found poisoned to death in the same park. Sources said the PTR is slowly becoming the graveyard of its own wildlife. Some dying its natural death, some made to die said sources.
