The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change in exercise of the powers, conferred by Section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, can notify wild pig as vermin for a particular period in any state or part of it.

The wild boar is now listed at serial No. 19 of the Schedule III of the act.

Once it is declared vermin, it would be included in Schedule V of the act for a particular period from the date of issue of the notification, official sources said.

According to the provision, the local people do not need permission to cull the animals once it has been declared as vermin and is found in the agricultural land. Killing it, however, in the protected areas is still punishable under the act.

However, since the wild pig has to shot to be killed, the villagers can take help of the forest employees, policemen or anybody who has got a licensed revolver.

According to the provision, the

forest department will provide ammunition by giving 50 per cent fund for purchasing the bullet, the remaining amount of which will be paid to the user once they provide the videographical evidence, along with empty bullet, used to kill the pig.

The carcass has to be burnt, according to the norms with regard to wildlife. Videography of this method of disposal will have to be furnished to the forest official of the area, sources said.

"I had requested the principal chief conservator of forests, Bhubaneswar, to take measures and declare wild boar as vermin five months ago," said regional chief conservator of forests, Berhampur, Sashi Paul.

"In the past, the wild boar had been declared vermin in some states after reported harm to the life and property, including large-scale destruction of agriculture because of overpopulation of wild pig in the areas outside the forest. So, the central government has considered it necessary to balance local population of the species to mitigate the damage to human life, crops and other properties of the state for ensuring conservation of wildlife in forests," said Berhampur divisional forest officer Asish Kumar Behera.

The over-population of wild boar has become a menace in almost all the three forest divisions in Ganjam, including Berhampur, north Ghumsur and south Ghumsur, as these animals are damaging the crops of the farmers, who are in distress because of various reasons.

Behera said: "During 2016-17, we had provided compensation to the farmers for crop loss because of wild boar amounting Rs 4 lakh. During 2017-18, the amount was Rs 5 lakh."

"The population of wild boar is increasing rapidly as they conceive twice a year and predators are absent in the forest areas," he said.