State News
A crisis is unfolding in Gumto’s Doimukh circle, where over 30 mithuns have fallen victim to wild dogs, leaving rearers reeling. The Doimukh Gumto Circle Mithun Farmers’ Club (DGCMFC) has been formed to advocate for compensation and support, but their efforts have been met with frustration as their claims are rejected by the forest department. The lack of compensation has left mithun breeders feeling abandoned, their livelihoods threatened by the relentless attacks.
According to DGCMFC chairman Chukhu Taje, the strangled lives of mithuns in Doimukh, Sopo, Rose, Leha, Boogli-Denka, and Gumto villages have been preyed upon by the canine marauders. Taje claims that despite submitting compensation forms, they have been consistently rejected by the forest department. Moreover, the death toll has risen to 40-50 mithuns in the area, with the ruthless wild dogs continuing to wreak havoc. The community’s anguish has been further exacerbated by the death of four mithuns over the weekend, which they believe was a result of consuming herbicide used in the Harmutty tea garden.
The affected mithun rearers have filled out compensation forms, gathering signatures from senior veterinary officers, the Doimukh sub-divisional officer, and the range forest officer (RFO), following a site visit by the Doimukh forest range RFO. However, they have been denied compensation, without being asked to provide geotagging pictures of the mithun carcasses. The club’s chairman emphasized that the authorities at the tea estate should take responsibility for their part in the tragedy by installing barriers to cover the drainage system where herbicides flow, as the mixed water is proving deadly to the mithuns.
Gaon Bura Chukhu Lalin, a mithun rearer, shared his personal plight, stating that two of his mithuns were killed by wild dogs recently, leaving him with only nine left. He noted that it takes three to four years for a female mithun to bear a calf, and another year to raise it, making the loss even more devastating. Lalin urged for better coordination between mithun rearers and the forest department to address the crisis, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive solution.
In contrast, mithun rearers in Seijosa, Pakke-Kessang district, have received compensation for their losses, with the Pakke Tiger Reserve increasing the ex gratia amount from Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000 in February. However, many are dissatisfied with the amount, demanding it be raised to at least Rs 1 lakh. Banderdewa Divisional Forest Officer Goba Doke assured that the RFO’s report would be approved and submitted to the PCCF through the DFO, based on eligible criteria, but it seems unlikely that this will assuage the concerns of the affected mithun rearers.
As the battle for compensation and support intensifies, the DGCMFC remains committed to addressing the crisis. With over 30 mithuns killed by wild dogs and many more succumbing to herbicide poisoning, the community’s cries for aid have gone unheard. The local authorities must take a more proactive approach to mitigate this crisis, ensuring that the mithun breeders receive the compensation and support they so desperately need.
Original Source: https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2025/04/15/wild-dogs-kill-mithuns-rearers-yet-to-receive-compensation/
Category : State News
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Publish Date: 2025-04-15 01:17:00
