After fatal leopard attacks, Pune deploys rescue teams; state announces funds

Taking a decisive step to address the growing humanleopard conflict in Pune district Deputy Chief Minister and Punersquos Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar has sanctioned a fund of Rs 1125 crore to implement comprehensive rescue and safety measuresThe initiative aims to control leopard attacks and prevent human casualties which have increased significantly over the past few yearsFor several years now the talukas of Junnar Ambegaon Khed and Shirur in Pune district of Maharashtra have been facing a serious crisis due to the rising number of leopards and their frequent movement into human settlementsThis has created an atmosphere of fear among villagers Over the last five years many people have lost their lives in leopard attacks and several others have suffered severe injuries In the most recent incidents a 13yearold boy an elderly woman and a young girl were tragically killedTaking serious note of the situation Ajit Pawar has approved an amount of Rs 1125 crore for immediate action to trap leopards and bring the humanwildlife conflict under control He assured citizens that preventing human loss is the governmentrsquos top priority and appealed to people not to panicThe northern talukas of PunemdashJunnar Ambegaon Khed and Shirurmdashhave become favourable habitats for leopards due to the abundance of sugarcane fields water resources and ideal conditions for breeding Irrigation projects such as Ghod Kukadi Manikdoh and Pimpalgaon Joga have encouraged largescale cultivation of sugarcane banana grape and pomegranate crops which provide leopards with shelter water and prey As a result the leopard population in this region has grown substantially with forest officials estimating around 1500 leopards across the Junnar division which covers over 611 square kilometresAjit Pawar sanctioned this major fund Earlier an additional Rs 2 crore had been allocated through the District Planning Committee for the purchase of cages and the procurement process for these cages is already underway an official saidUnder the newly approved plan 20 specialised rescue teams will be deployed in the Junnar Forest Division Each team will be equipped with trained shooters trackers tranquilising guns rescue vehicles modern cameras cages and other necessary tools The plan includes a total of 500 cages 20 tranquilising guns 500 trap cameras 250 livefeed cameras 500 highpower torches 500 smart sticks and 20 medical equipment kits Each rescue team will consist of five to six trained members ready to respond swiftly in emergenciesAjit Pawar stated that these concrete measures will help keep leopards at a safe distance from human settlements ensure timely rescue and relocation operations and minimise the risk to human life He emphasised that protecting citizens while ensuring wildlife conservation is the governmentrsquos dual responsibility ldquoPreventing human casualties is our highest priority The administration is fully committed to swift and effective action and there is no need for citizens to be afraidrdquo the Deputy Chief Minister saidVilas Bombe father of Rohan who waskilled in a leopard attack on Sunday afternoon PicSpecial Arrangement by Archana DahiwalThere is law to eat man but no law to kill big catrdquo says father after leopard kills his 13yearold sonldquoThere is a law to eat a man but no law to kill a cat Keep us in a cage The leopard ate my lad in a few minutesrdquo said a heartbroken Vilas Bombe father of 13yearold Rohan Bombe who was dragged and killed by a leopard near his home in Pimparkhed Ambewadi on Sunday afternoonThe tragedymdashthe third leopard attack in a month in the Shirur regionmdashsparked massive outrage as hundreds of villagers blocked the PunendashNashik Highway in protest demanding that the leopard be shot dead and a permanent solution to the growing mananimal conflict in the area on Monday near MancharThe Horror in the Sugarcane FieldsAccording to relatives Rohan had stepped out after lunch to cut grass for the familyrsquos cattle when he was attacked ldquoThe family had finished lunch and was sitting at home Rohan said he would cut the grass Suddenly the leopard pounced on himrdquo said Santosh Argade a relativeHis grandmother heard his screams and rushed out shouting for help Rohanrsquos father and uncle ran into the field but were too late ldquoThe leopard dragged Rohan nearly 300 metres and ate half his bodyrdquo Argade said The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries he was dead on the spotThe familyrsquos grief quickly turned into public fury The villagers already reeling from recent attacks took to the streets shouting slogans against the forest department and blocking the busy highway for several hoursRohan Bombe killed in a leopard attack on Sunday afternoon PicSpecial Arrangement by Archana DahiwalGrowing Fear Mounting AngerldquoThis is not the first timerdquo said Devdatta Nikam working president of the Pune Rural unit of the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar faction ldquoFiftysix villagers have been killed in leopard attacks here Yet no forest minister no other ministermdashnot even the district collectormdashhas come here to visit We went to Mumbai but our voice was unheard Our children canrsquot step out of the house anymorerdquoNilam one of the local protesters said villagers had announced an indefinite rasta roko ldquoWe are not ready to move until the government ensures safety On Sunday also we did itrdquo she saidFollowing the violent protests the forest departmentrsquos patrol vehicle and office were set on fire by enraged villagersForest Department Orders to ldquoShoot on SightrdquoSmita Rajhance Assistant Conservator of Forests told midday that authorities have issued orders to shoot the leopard on sight if it poses an immediate danger ldquoWe are conducting reconnaissance in the affected zone In the past two weeks the department has caught 15 leopards On the morning of this incident one leopard was also trapped in a cagerdquo she saidOfficials said 25 cages and 10 trap cameras have been installed and drones are being used to monitor the area A team of sharpshooters has been deployed and will act when a clear shot is possibleAccording to forest officials nearly 90 per cent of the farmland is under sugarcane with two riversmdashKulhadi and Ghod Nadimdashproviding a steady water flow ldquoThe dense sugarcane and abundant prey attract leopards to these areasrdquo said an officialCalls for Accountability and ActionShirur MP Dr Amol Kolhe has written to the Chief Conservator of Forests demanding elimination orders for maneating leopards and urgent intervention from the state ldquoWhile our children and mothers are dying in daylight the government is silently watching This apathy is unbearablerdquo he said in a statementThe Maharashtra government provides Rs 25 lakh compensation for victims killed in leopard attacks but villagers say they are no longer interested in moneymdashthey want their safety backldquoThis is not about compensation anymorerdquo said one villager ldquoWe will return their Rs 25 lakh if the government can give us our children aliverdquoA crisis beyond one villageThe Pimparkhed tragedy is the third death in the last monthmdashafter 5yearold Shivnya Bombe was killed on 12 October and 70yearold Bhagabai Jadhav on 22 October Experts say the Junnar Forest Division now records one of the highest leopard densities in Maharashtra estimated at 6ndash7 leopards per 100 sq kmAs tension continues Pimparkhed remains on edgemdasha village trapped between grief and fear waiting for the next shadow to move through its sugarcane fields