Bastang village empty. All the terrified villagers due to increasing wild bear attacks left to other safer destinations, CM mum, forest department helpless, shame

Residents of village in Pokhra block under Pauri Garhwal district namely Bastang are so badly terrified and threatened by the increasing uncontrollable attacks of wild bears that they have shifted elsewhere either to Kotdwar or near another village. The rampant wild bear repeated attacks even breaking the cow sheds and grievously injuring the cattles and other domestic pets have so badly led to the panic in the village that the resident feared for their lives and that of the children finally leaving the village in a huff.

According to the latest news Bears have been a constant threat in the Pokhara block of Pauri Garhwal for the past several days. Villagers in Basting village, which falls under the Pokhara development block, have been forced to abandon their ancestral homes due to fear of bears.

Of the two families present there, one family has already been displaced to Kotdwar, while the other family has also vacated the village and taken temporary shelter in the nearby village of Piniya. After leaving the village, the family said, “If we had stayed there, we wouldn’t have survived either.”

They said, “We had a pair of oxen and cows, which provided food for the family. The bear killed them all. Now, there’s no livelihood left, and it’s not safe to live in the village.” He says that so far, he has not received any help from the Forest Department or the administration.

The last family in Basting village was that of Hari Prasad, who lived with Yashoda Devi, son Sanjay Prasad, and daughter Shanti. Prasad says that in January, a bear killed six of his cattle over a period of about three days. These cattle were the family’s sole source of livelihood, but the bear broke into the cowshed and made the cattle its prey.

The family repeatedly lodged the complaint to the concerned department but of no avail. Prasad alleges that officials and staff visited the village but only drew pictures of the damage and returned. No permanent arrangements were made to protect them and their cattles against the bears, nor was compensation provided for the cattle killed. Hariprasad’s family is now living as refugees in the Pinya Gram Sabha, having locked their ancestral home.

The villagers of Pinya and the village head, Harshpal Singh Negi, have provided them with support. The villagers themselves brought their household items and are helping them to survive.
Meen himself brought their household items and is helping them survive.
Bear terror also in Pineya village. Currently, around 35 families live in Pineya village.
The will bear terror though also exists in the Pineya village. Currently, around 35 families live in Pineya village.

Pradhan Harspal Singh Negi said that the terror of bears is not limited to Bastang. The situation is also worrying in Pineya and surrounding areas. The village heade said that a sense of fear exists among women. Going to the forest to collect grass and wood has become risky, affecting daily life said the terrified village women.

According to Harshpal Negi, a forest department team visited the village, but they refused, saying that killing bears was prohibited. The team installed cameras and returned. A letter regarding this matter has also been sent to Chief Minister Pukar Singh Dhami, but a hearing has not yet taken place.

In Uttarakhand especially in Garhwal there is a wild life emergency like situation with human and cattles killing by maneater and wild bears going on unabatedly with about one hundred people,though a conservative government figure have been killed during the period of one year and five hundred during the last 25 years. The increasing wild bears attacks in Garhwal have been more than fourth times during the last three months and several cattles died including two human deaths and several women and men injured grievously.