Thiruvananthapuram: The Chief Wildlife Warden on Monday will issue an order, appointing the local body chairpersons as honorary wildlife wardens empowered to cull wild boars. With this, the gram panchayat president, municipal chairperson and mayor would be able to legally cull wild boars that pose a threat to life or property in their jurisdiction.
Another person can be tasked if there is any inconvenience in killing wild boars. The local body chairpersons can task another person to cull the animal after stating the reason.
They can choose any method other than poisoning, using explosives and electrocution.
The Government Order (GO) would be effective till May 30, 2023.
As majority of the local boy chairpersons do not have gun licences the forest department is considering to give training to them to use gun or catch the wild animal by setting traps.
The orders issued on Monday would delegate the power vested with the chief wildlife warden, under Section 11 (1) B of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, to the honorary wildlife wardens and authorised officials to cull wild boars.
The Chief Wildlife Warden would also issue another order, appointing local secretaries as authorised officials.
Forest Principal Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha had the other day issued an order, empowering the local bodies to cull wild boars. But as only the forest department chief wildlife warden has the authority to give permit to the honorary wildlife warden or the authorised official of the local bodies, the new order is being issued.
The forest department announced it was not mandatory for the public to lodge complaints about the wild boar menace. But the local body heads should be informed.
26 new vehicles for problem zones
Twenty-six vehicles have been purchased for the staff who have been deployed by the forest department in areas with acute wild animal menace. Twenty Gurkha jeeps and 6 campers were newly purchased. Forest Minister A K Saseendran would flag-off the vehicles at the forest department headquarters in the State Capital on Monday.
