States have to deal with wild boar menace, says union government

New Delhi: The union government has again clarified that it will not declare wild boar as a vermin.

Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav has however informed Congress MP K Muraleedharan that there is no legal barrier for the state governments to cull them as per existing law. According to Yadav, as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, states control animals posing threat to human life and property as vermin. Schedules I, II, III of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 give powers to State Chief Wild Warden to authorise culling of such an animal. Hence, the state can cull the wild boars in such a way that it does not affect the ecology, he added.

Meanwhile, the Kerala cabinet, other day decided to empower the local bodies to cull the wild boars. The cabinet has been planning to bring an ordinance that would give honorary Chief Wildlife Warden post to grama panchayat president, municipal chairman and corporation mayor so that they use the same power of State Chief Wild Warden under Section 11-B (1) of the Wildlife (Protection). That means grama panchayat president, municipal chairman and corporation mayor can authorize culling of such an animal.

It may be noted that the Centre earlier had rejected the state’s request seeking permission to cull wild boars. The Centre then maintained that allowing citizens will be counterproductive and can cause more harm.

Recently, Forest Minister AK Saseendran had informed that the state government as part of giving its opinions and recommendations to the Parliamentary Standing Committee which has been examining the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021, had urged the Centre to entrust it the power to declare wild animals, including wild boars, as vermin.

The clarification comes amid this.