Fazilka, October 8: Pakistani wild boars have been playing havoc with the standing paddy crop across the barbed wire fencing near the International India-Pakistan border in Fazilka district.
A deputation of farmers from border villages of Teja Rohela, Mohar Jamsher, Mohar Sona, Mansa, Mohar Khiva and Mauzam met BSF officials in Fazilka and apprised them of their problems.
Dalip Singh of Mohar Khiva village, whose land falls across the barbed wire fencing, said since they are not allowed to go across the fencing from dusk to dawn, their crops are left unattended. He said herds of Pakistani wild boars entered into the Indian Territory and destroyed the standing paddy crop.
Notably, farmers are not allowed to sow tall crops across the fencing owing to security reasons.
“The paddy crop is ready for harvest so the farmers are worried as wild boards damage the crops,” said former sarpanch Mohider Singh.
Some farmers used to put up cobra wire around their agriculture plot but due to security reasons, this practice was discontinued.
Sources said in 1990s, a 533-km-long fencing was erected along the Indo-Pakistan border about 150 m inside the Indian Territory with a motive to prevent infiltration and smuggling of arms and narcotics from the Pakistan side as a result of which 54,721 acres of agriculture land fell across the fencing in Punjab.
Sources said there was some wildlife area in Pakistan side across the border along Fazilka district which is a habitat of big wild boars.
Farmers have been demanding adequate compensation on account of the damage to crops by wild boars.
A BSF official said only a few farmers had been facing the problem, which was not so grave.
When contacted, Mahipal Singh Yadav, IG, Punjab Frontier of BSF, Jalandhar, feigned ignorance about the issue.
Source Tribune India
