KANCHANPUR, Feb 23: As election fervour has gained momentum across the country, voters have prioritised issues they want election candidates to internalise. Voting for the House of Representatives (HoR) is taking place on March 5.
Voters have varied needs and concerns, and they want political parties and candidates to pay heed to them and show readiness to introduce policy interventions and other initiatives to address their demands.
Voters residing along the buffer zone of Shuklaphanta National Park have identified human–wildlife conflict as their most pressing issue this time. Various wild animals such as boars, blue bulls, spotted deer, elephants, tigers and leopards continue to cause massive agricultural losses. This has been recurring for years. Herbivorous animals encroach on farms, causing significant crop damage, while carnivorous animals pull livestock from sheds and devour them, locals complained.
PMO directs suspension of SC verdict on 20-meter buffer zone on...
Ganga Ram Dagaura, 65, of Pipladi, said strengthened farming structures, electric mesh wiring, solar lamps and flashlights are necessary to minimise unwanted encroachment by wild animals. “But our voices have been overlooked for years. We will support candidates who are genuinely ready to hear and respond to us.”
Kide Dhanuk, 60, of Khajuwa, said the mesh wire installed earlier was damaged by wild animals and heavy rains. “A strengthened electric fence, construction of an embankment along the local Syali River, blacktopping of roads and access to irrigation facilities are our priorities,” he said. Over 60 families reside in the Khajuwa area.
Mahesh Mahara of Jonapur expressed similar concerns. “I will vote for a candidate who seems committed to our agenda,” he said. He added that a neighbour from the Mahara family suffered significant economic loss when a tiger preyed on two hybrid cows. “The animals were purchased on loans, and the family has been eagerly waiting for compensation,” he said.
“We are helpless as we see our crops such as paddy, wheat and sugarcane being damaged by wild animals on our farms,” he lamented.
The park’s buffer zone stretches over an area of 243.5 kilometres. Forty-eight wards of five municipalities and two rural municipalities fall within it. A total of 38 local consumers’ committees have been formed there, and these committees are working to provide relief to locals and address their needs.
Locals said that such initiatives at the local level are not sufficient to address the severity of the problem. They want election candidates to come up with long-term and sustainable plans to tackle these issues, with strong commitments and a clear vision for basic infrastructure development.
RSS
