RANJHA, NOVEMBER 10
People residing along the buffer zone of Banke National Park wanted the candidates for the House of Representatives and the provincial assembly to take initiatives to keep them safe from wildlife attacks.
They complained of frequent cases of human-wildlife conflict in the settlements. They want the candidates from Constituency No 1 of Banke to convince them that they will take the issue seriously and contribute from their side to resolve it.
People of Balapur, Ward No 8 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality complained that they were facing constant risk to their lives from wildlife. Each time they cultivate crops, they are not sure whether they will be able to harvest them as animals from the park destroy them. The problem is perennial.
Bhuwan of Kusum Ward No 1 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, who teaches at a local school, complained that they had just got empty rhetoric from leaders during elections and they were disappointed as the leaders failed to keep their word.
"During the previous elections, candidates vowed to ensure our safety from wild animals. Five years have passed, but our situation remains the same," he said.
Basant Oli of Balapur, Ward No 8 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality urged leaders who had reached out to them for votes, to make sure they ensured the safety of locals from wildlife attacks. "We can hardly work in the farms safely and regularly as we are face constant risk of wildlife attack. We want barbed wire fencing around the park area for safety."
Eleven candidates are in the fray for the federal and Province Assembly and we have got commitments in writing from them saying they will end our problems," ward Chair Sohanlal Tharu said. "We are united in finding a durable solution to threats from wildlife no matter who wins the elections," he said.
Settlements at Ward No 9 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality are most affected by wildlife assaults. Mahadeva, Buchapur Udyan, Paschim-Purba, Hatti Sarkhair, Khairi Guruwagaun, Kauwakanda and Dhakeri remain zones vulnerable to attacks.
The villages that have been affected by wildlife threats include Lauki, Bardapur, Chappargaudi, Baghkhor, Badarbhariya, Ojkhola, Kusum, Ranigajeri, Sauri, Gavar and Sikta of Ward No 1 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality.
Ward Chairperson Yam Bahadur Khadka said wildlife menace had become a major problem of the buffer zone.
Chairperson of Ward No 8 of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality Shalikram Dangi said voters had been asking candidates who were reaching out to them in the course of election campaigning, to take initiatives to resolve the problems as settlements in Ovari and Balapur of Ward No 8 were mostly affected by wildlife.
Villages of wards 12 and 13 of Kohalpur Municipality are situated in the buffer zone of Banke National Park.
CPN-UML candidate for the House of Representatives from Banke Constituency-1 Surya Dhakal said he had prioritised a long-term solution to wildlife attacks as wild animals straying from Banke National Park had been causing loss of lives and property every year.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 11, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
