Bhopal, March 14 : Madhya Pradesh authorities, yet again, grope in dark and are at crossroad of an enduring battle with the wild animal Nilgai ' that shares suffix in its name with gai (cow). A menace for farmers since last several years the wild animal of antelope species not only damage the crop but destroy it too in various regions of the state.

All hopes now rest upon the Robinson R44 helicopter as the latest instrument in the war to protect crops from the ravages of this resilient antelope species.

Over the years, measures such as Boma (capture and relocate), fladry, fencing, scarecrows, and even fire have failed to yield substantial results, while the more curious experiment of performing vasectomies on the Nilgai has not alleviated the problem either.

The gravity of this challenge now rests upon the shoulders of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The issue was again raised on Thursday in state Assembly to which Speaker Narendra Tomar concurred and said, 'If Nilgais keep on increasing, state farmers may face more problem.'

During a general body meeting of the Madhya Pradesh Tiger Foundation Committee, chaired by CM Yadav at his residence in Bhopal on Thursday, officials revealed that though Robinson 44 helicopter had been chosen for the operation on 'charter' basis, but there are no takers for the task.

An e-tender process to secure both the aircraft and a skilled pilot has been initiated, but despite three rounds of tender issuance, the mission remains stalled due to the lack of suitable candidates. Robinson R44 helicopters are best selling helicopters suitable for such operations and used worldwide.

A formal appeal has now been made to the Principal Secretary of Aviation to provide the required helicopter or its equivalent, the Chief Minister was told. The moment the aircraft is acquired, the operation to capture and relocate these wild animals is set to proceed without delay, thereby offering the beleaguered farmers some respite from their crop losses.

During the discussion, officials presented a detailed action plan aimed at safeguarding farmland from damage caused by the wild animal. The plan centres on capturing Nilgai and blackbucks, both notorious for wreaking havoc on agricultural land, and relocating them to more secure habitats. Despite appeals from aggrieved farmers in Neemuch, who have long demanded culling as a solution, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had opposed the practice, ostensibly for personal and political reasons.

The previous Chouhan government even went too far to rename the Nilgai to "Rojad" in 2016 to extricate it from the cow-related sanctity 'gai' tied to its name, which had made culling a contentious issue.

Innovative though it was, the 2017 attempt to sterilize male Nilgai through vasectomy proved to be an experiment of limited impact. A team of veterinarians performed 'pinhole' surgeries under sedation at Bhopal's Van Vihar National Park, hoping to control the animals' rapid reproduction rates. However, the Nilgai, with their prolific breeding habits, remained a significant concern.

Female Nilgai reach reproductive maturity at just 25 months and can live for 12 to 13 years, which translates to exponential population growth.

The situation is particularly grim in districts like Ratlam, Mandsaur, and Neemuch, where farmers grow opium under state oversight.

Nilgai have not only developed a liking for poppy, consuming as many as 300 fruits in a single night, if opium growing farmers of Mandsaur district are believed, but also trample whatever crops they leave uneaten. Traditional deterrents like thorny fencing, scarecrows, and colourful fladry strips have failed to curb their destructive forays.

Efforts to relocate the Nilgai using the South African Boma technique, which involves driving animals into enclosures for safe transport, have proven exorbitantly expensive. In one instance recorded in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the state spent Rs 41.6 lakh relocating 27 Nilgai at an average cost of Rs 1.5 lakh per animal. The massive operation in Mandsaur involved over 150 forest personnel, 70 local villagers, 30 horses, and even a private helicopter to coordinate the effort.

Culling remains a legally viable option under Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which allows the Chief Wildlife Warden to sanction the killing of animals deemed a threat to human life or property, said a well-placed senior official in forest department requesting anonymity.

Yet, deep-seated cultural sentiments tied to the Nilgai's name, invoking sacred associations with cows, have deterred many from pursuing this route. In fact, only one farmer sought permission to cull Nilgai over the past twelve years, despite the significant damage they cause, the official said.

Farmers in regions like Mandsaur once went so far as to petition for the reintroduction of predators such as leopards, arguing that their absence emboldened Nilgai herds, which often number 40 to 50 individuals. However, the complexities of balancing ecological harmony with agricultural needs have made such measures difficult to implement.

More recently, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department drafted proposals to simplify hunting rules for Nilgai and wild boars, seeking feedback from legislators on the matter. Under the draft policy, licensed firearm owners would be required to obtain permits to shoot these crop-damaging animals. However, ethical concerns and public outrage -- most notably from an animal lover bigwig, who criticized similar measures -- have kept this proposal in limbo.

The government's inclination now leans towards a 'trial-and-error' approach, aiming to capture and relocate the animals rather than resorting to culling. Advertisements have been issued to enlist individuals and organizations to aid in these efforts.

Nilgai-related crop destruction remains pervasive in many districts, such as Bhind, Rewa, Morena, and Shajapur, underscoring the urgent need for a sustainable resolution. Yet the question persists: how does one strike a balance between conservation and the well-being of those whose livelihoods hang in the balance? The enduring plight of the Nilgai poses not only a challenge to Madhya Pradesh's agricultural stability but also a moral and political quandary for its leaders.

/IANS