The Hindu : New Delhi News : Nilgais pose threat to afforestation drive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Aug 24, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Nilgais pose threat to afforestation drive

By Anjali Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI, AUG. 23. The Department of Forests and Wildlife here has a rather unusual "foe". While the afforestation drives by the Department seem to be on the right track, the plantations at some areas near the Yamuna including at Garhi-Mandu are under threat from nature itself.

A noticeable increase in the population of `nilgais' here has the Department officials stumped. These herbivores -- protected under the Wildlife Protection Act -- feed on the newly planted saplings and destroy them. Thus, even as the Department officials continue the greening effort, part of it is undone by these herbivores.

"The newer plantations are under threat from the large number of nilgais. We noticed that many of the tender saplings were browsed by them or trampled upon. The plantations need protection from them," said environmentalist Ajay Mahajan, who was part of a recent inspection of the plantation drive at the Garhi-Mandu area.

According to the officials, saplings planted in these areas are often found to be destroyed by these animals. Till the plant is about 6-7 feet, the threat from nilgais is a worry for the officials. "At the moment, the problem is not acute. But it is likely to become worse in the future. It is because the food chain has been disturbed. In normal circumstances, the population of nilgais would have been under control because carnivores would have preyed on them. But there are no carnivores here to keep their numbers in check. So the population is on the increase. Also, they are a protected species," said a Department official.

At places, the Department has resorted to fencing, but cordoning off the entire area is not possible, they argue. "It is a huge area. And that's the forested area where the animals live. Where can we send them from there? Also, even if we wanted to send them to some other area, it is difficult because unlike in the case of smaller animals, it is difficult to transport nilgais. Besides there is no protected area for these animals where we can send them. Most of the times we chase them away but they come back," said an official.

Unfortunately, even chasing them away is not an answer as these animals then head for agricultural fields nearby. In turn, worried about their produce, the farmers also chase the animals. "We have noticed that this problem with the nilgais is most acute in summer when the availability of fodder is reduced. Also, when the crop is standing, farmers are more vigilant, chasing the nilgais away from the fields," explained the official.

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