After a troop of monkeys damaged farmers' maize fields, the Division Forest Office Arghakhanchi has called for applications to appoint 20 guards for two months.
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After monkeys began damaging the maize growing in the fields, the Division Forest Office has called for applications to appoint 20 monkey wardens.
All 61 wards of the six local levels in the district are monkey-affected areas. Among them, the Forest Office has requested wardens for villages in 26 highly affected areas to protect the maize. At this time, the maize has already tasseled. Farmers have been troubled as groups of monkeys enter the maize fields and cause damage.
Individuals aged 18 to 45 can apply until Friday. The wardens will work from Shrawan 10 to Ashoj 10 (two months). According to the notice, they will receive a monthly remuneration of 12,500 rupees. Eight community forest user groups in Shitganga Municipality will invest in the remuneration and other expenses for the wardens.
According to the Forest Office, financial support for the monkey wardens comes from the Kalidamar, Dohote, Shankarapura, Gaide, Ghaivamaila community forest user groups in Shitganga Municipality–11, Buddha and Banaganga in Ward 14, and Dhirikhola in Ward 13.
It has been stated that 800,000 rupees will be collected from these forest groups for the wardens’ remuneration. Reshamraj Banjade, chairperson of Dohote Community Forest, said that the forest user groups will provide funds to the Forest Office to drive away monkeys from the income generated by selling timber and firewood, after conserving the forest through a promotion system-based forest management program. He said the group provided the funds seeing that it would help farmers protect their maize crops.
Last year, 10 community forests provided a budget of 600,000 rupees. Banjade said that it is not yet certain how much will be provided this time, and that the amount will be given under the social responsibility program after receiving a circular from the office.
The Division Forest Office will bear the cost of other necessary materials to drive away the monkeys. Division Forest Office Information Officer Keshar Khadka said that arrangements are being made to manage the funds by cutting office expenses and from other sources. He said that the chairpersons of all 61 wards have been asked for detailed data, including the losses caused by monkeys to crops last year. Based on that, the most affected areas will be selected and forest wardens will be deployed.
The Division Forest Office also deployed 20 wardens last year. This time as well, Division Forest Office Chief Narayandev Bhattarai said that individuals with experience in protecting maize, nurseries, forests, and nature-related work will be selected. He said that priority will be given to residents of monkey-affected areas, those interested in wildlife and biodiversity conservation, and those with experience in community forests, forest user groups, forest wardens, nursery wardens, head wardens, or similar work.
For two months, the monkey wardens will regularly monitor monkeys, provide timely information to farmers and coordinate as needed, keep records of crop damage caused by monkeys and inform the relevant ward and office, and drive monkeys from cultivable areas to their natural habitats in a humane and environmentally friendly manner. At this time, farmers are suffering as monkeys damage the maize during the day and wild boars at night.
