Sikkim Tourism | Peacock ravaged land set to get visitors

Gangtok, Jan 29.TT: The forest department is set to acquire paddy fields that have been destroyed by peacocks straying out of a bird sanctuary in South Sikkim and convert the area into a tourist destination.

Peacocks and wild boars from Kitam bird sanctuary have been regularly damaging crops in four forest villages for almost a decade now.

The depredation of crops has increased in the past five-six years forcing many farmers from Kitam, Lower Kitam, Belbotey and Compound villages to stop cultivating paddy.

Most of the villagers have other jobs.

The forest department has decided to acquire around 2.5 acre in Aley and convert it into a bird watchers’ den.

Aley is adjacent to the bird sanctuary and lies between Compound and Belbotey villages in Kitam.

“We are acquiring paddy fields from Kitam where people cannot cultivate anything as peacocks and wild animals destroy their crops. We plan to tie up with local NGOs and cultivate paddy there and construct watch towers so that tourists can come and watch peacocks eating paddy when the crop is ripe. We can also encourage the villagers to start homestays in Kitam,” said forest secretary S.T. Lachungpa.

Paddy is sown during the monsoons and harvested during September-October every year.

Lachungpa added that Rs 22 lakh will be allocated by the forest department in the coming budget session for acquiring the fields.

Around 20 farmers have landholdings in Aley.

Although no census has been conducted in Kitam bird sanctuary that is spread over 6sqkm, foresters said there has been a growth in the number of peacocks, monkeys and wild boars and the animals and birds frequently enter the nearby villages in search of food.

“We cannot go on paying crop compensation and this is one of the ways in which we can address the issue. Later, we will suggest other villagers to approach the problem in the same manner.” Lachungpa said the villagers affected by crop depredation would be asked to think about giving up their land.

He added that the residents of the area had demanded that the government buy the land.

“The villagers who have land holdings in Aley are ready to sell the plots as they cannot earn from paddy cultivation there. Now they can earn some money when tourists come to watch peacocks eat the crops. The tourism department will be involved in selling the destination for bird watching,” said Lachungpa. He added that the divisional forest officer, wildlife, South, has already met the landowners concerned and prepared a detailed report for acquisition.

“I think we can start the ground work (by clearing up the place) in September after paying the compensation,” Lachungpa said.

The head of Munal Club, a local NGO, said when the area is converted for tourism, farmers will benefit as the project will help curb the raid of wild animals and birds in the village fields and the local youths will gain from tourism.

According to K.N. Pradhan, the NGO president, once paddy is grown in Aley, the area will act as a buffer zone. Birds from the sanctuary will flock to the Aley fields for food and they would not enter the fringe villages. “It will control the intrusion of birds and animals in the villages and destruction of crops there,” he said.

Villagers have appreciated the move. “This will not completely address the issue of wild animals destroying our crops, but it will control the menace of peacocks to some extent,” said a villager.

Although the farmers of Belbotey and Compound are likely to see a dip in peacock attacks once the project is implemented, people of Lower Kitam and Kitam will still have to face the problem of wild animals as some areas of the villages are close to the sanctuary.