Snails, wild boars trouble Kozhikode city

Govt. order to cull boars yet to be defined properly for local bodies concerned

The State may have empowered local bodies to cull wild boars that cause damage to life and property. But the order is yet to be defined properly and rules and regulations conveyed to those concerned. However unlikely it may seem, the Kozhikode Corporation is eagerly waiting to implement the order.

When M.N. Praveen, councillor from the Civil Station ward, brought up the issue of wild boar menace at the corporation council meeting on Monday, it led to a bout of laughter, as it was presumed to be an unlikely case in a city. But Mr. Praveen cleared the air explaining the damage caused by wild boars in his ward, including loss of crops and serious injury to a person.

Corporation Secretary K.U. Bini answered that the corporation was helpless until rules related to the government order were defined and asked the councillor to continue seeking the help of the Forest Conservator in case of wild boar attacks.

However, Mr. Praveen demanded that the corporation release compensation to those attacked by wild boars and pressed the need to set up an animal crematorium in the city soon.

Health standing committee chairperson S. Jayasree came up with another unlikely problem for a normal city. She said agricultural lands in her ward were infested by African snails, pressing the need to eliminate them before they procreate in multiples and spread out to nearby wards. Even so, councillors of three other nearby wards said they faced the same issue.

Ms. Jayasree said snails were an invasive species that came to the city through soil brought for land filling from elsewhere. As they did not have any natural enemies, they multiplied fast. They are drawn to calcium and hence could be found in abundance near papaya and plantain plants. Ms. Jayasree said Nematode worms found inside the snails could cause Encephalitis, and that concentrated salt was the only defence against the snails.

Mayor Beena Philip said the corporation would seek the support of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute to deal with the issue.