Elections 2022
Bheshraj Basnet
Politicians have used people residing along the Banke National Park (BNP) buffer zone as a political tool to garner votes.
They would pitch various schemes and promises, from water facilities and toilets to better homes, to woo thousands of voters in these settlements.
This time, the candidates were in for a surprise when they came to pay lip service to the voters.
The residents of the settlements along the park buffer zone are vetting candidates for the House of Representatives and Province Assembly in pursuit of a solution to the perennial problem: wild animal attacks.
They complained of frequent cases of human-wildlife conflict along the settlements. They want election candidates from Banke Constituency-1 to convince them that they would take the issue seriously and contribute from their sides to resolve it.
People of Balapur of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality-8 complain that they are forced to live in constant fear of wildlife. Each time they cultivate crops, they are unsure if they get to harvest them as animals from the park would destroy the crops at any time. The problem is perennial.
Bhuwan of Kusum, Rapti Sonari-1, who teaches at a local school, feels that the political leaders just got words ahead of every election but never delivered them. "During the previous elections, candidates vowed to ensure our safety from wild animals. Yet five years on, we are looking at the same situation," he said.
Basant Oli of Balapur of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality-8 urged the leaders, who reached out to them for votes, to ensure their safety from wildlife attacks.
"We can hardly work at farms safely as we face constant risk of animal attacks. So we want barbed wire fencing around the park area for safety."
Eleven candidates are contesting the elections for the federal and provincial assemblies from the constituency.
"We've got commitments in writing from each of them for an end to the problems," ward Chair Sohanlal Tharu said, adding that they were standing together to find a lasting solution to wildlife threats regardless of who wins the elections.
Settlements at Rapti Sonari-9 are prone to wildlife attacks. The most vulnerable zones are Mahadeva, Buchapur Udyan, Paschim-Purba, Hatti Sarkhair, Khairi Guruwagaun, Kauwakanda and Dhakeri.
Lauki, Bardapur, Chappargaudi, Baghkhor, Badarbhariya, Ojkhola, Kusum, Ranigajeri, Sauri, Gavar and Sikta are villages facing wildlife threats in Rapti Sonari-1.
According to ward 1 Chair Yam Bahadur Khadka, the rise in wild animal menace had become a major problem facing those living in the buffer zone.
Chairperson of ward 8, Shalikram Dangi, said voters in Ovary and Balapur settlements of the ward had been asking candidates to resolve the wildlife issues.
Villages of Kohalpur municipalities 12 and 13 are situated in the buffer zone of the Banke National Park.
Most of the candidates, including the current member of parliament from the ruling alliance, say they understand the plight of the affected villagers.
Maheshwar Jung Gahatraj, the incumbent minister for youth and sports, claimed that he had taken initiatives to resolve the wildlife issues after his win from the Banke Constituency-1 in the 2074 elections. "I have prioritised this issue this time, too," he said.
CPN-UML candidate under the House of Representatives from Banke Constituency-1, Surya Dhakal, said he had prioritised a long-term solution to wildlife attacks.
Dhakal expressed his commitment to take the initiative in making a policy for arranging a life insurance policy worth Rs2.5 million for each family living in the most affected areas or the buffer zone and animal insurance worth Rs500,000.
With RSS inputs
