Blackbucks become a threat for Makthal farmers
The blackbuck and deer invasions, they say, is mainly due to increase in acreage due to provision of water.
Hyderabad: It is a problem of plenty in Makthal. Farmers in different mandals of Makthal constituency in Narayanpet district are worried over frequent invasion of their fields by a group of unusual visitors – blackbucks and deer.
The ‘invasions’ in fact, have a little bit of background. With the provision of sufficient water through Jurala, Bheema and Singambanda projects and crop investment support from the State government, the once parched lands of Makthal had transformed into fertile lands. Buoyed with the availability of water, farmers had begun cultivating two crops in a year. In Makthal mandal alone, the total acreage was about 41,300 acres in 2017, which increased to 63,400 acres in 2022-23. And this has in turn made the crops easy target for the blackbucks and deer.
The blackbucks and deer regularly enter the fields and destroy the standing crops. At times, a herd of 50 to 70 blackbucks move around the fields. This problem is severe in Makthal, Krishna, Maganur, Utkoor and Narwah mandals in the constituency, according to farmers, who predominantly cultivate paddy during Yasangi and Vanakalam apart from different pulses, cotton, groundnut and others as the second crop.
The blackbuck and deer invasions, they say, is mainly due to increase in acreage due to provision of water. Earlier, farmers used to cultivate only one crop and later the lands would turn into grasslands, making it a safe haven for the blackbucks, a senior Forest official said.
Now, with two crops being cultivated in a year, the blackbucks and deer venture out of their habitats and enter the fields and in the process, damage the crops. Unfortunately, farmers were forced to take up multiple sowing and this was increasing their crop investment, the official said.
Since these are revenue lands and do not come under the purview of the Forest department, the local forest officials have been approaching the district administration and head office in Hyderabad for funds and other support in addressing the problem.
“In 2021, we wrote to the head office for an assistance of Rs.2.5 crore and the district administration was also requested for some help. The plan was to slowly relocate the blackbucks to another place within the district,” the official said.
Amidst these issues, farmers are a worried lot. Since blackbucks are Schedule 1 species, they cannot be hunted or harmed. Farmers cannot install electric fencing to protect fields either as it would cause injuries or even death of the blackbucks and cases could be booked against the land owners, an Agriculture department officer said.
Despite suffering losses and crop damages, farmers do not harm the blackbucks but they have been appealing to the Forest department for help. A coordinated effort was needed to fix the issue, the officer said.
