Fear of leopards keeps farmhands away from fields, affects sugar ops in Junnar
Threat of leopard attacks coupled with advisories from forest department has forced farm labourers in Junnar and neighbouring areas to stay away from sugarcane fields and sugar factories
PUNE: The threat of leopard attacks coupled with advisories from the forest department has forced farm labourers in Junnar and the neighbouring areas to stay away from sugarcane fields and sugar factories, adversely impacting operations. So much so that some factory officials have now filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court (HC), demanding sterilisation of leopards as a preventive measure.
The sugarcane cutting season has just begun and farmers in Junnar are struggling to find farmhands. Typically, migrant labourers come to help with the harvest after Dussehra but this year they are keeping away. Reason being the problem has intensified with seven deaths reported in leopard attacks in the Junnar belt already. In recent years, leopard attacks have increased in Junnar, leading to the loss of 13 lives and injuries to at least 27 others in the past three years, as reported by the forest department.
Ajay Belhekar, a farmer from Kalwadi village in Junnar, said, “The cutting should have started by now but we haven’t been able to start. Migrant labourers don’t want to work here because they are afraid of leopards.”
According to Sugar Commissionerate data, sugar factories usually employ around 700 to 1,000 workers with seasonal labour raising the number to about 3,000 to 4,000. This season however, there is manpower shortage across all sugar factories in the area.
The problem extends beyond Junnar to nearby areas such as Daund where leopard attacks have created a similar climate of fear. Many farm labourers hail from northern Maharashtra, including Jalgaon, Nandurbar and the Marathwada region.
For the labourers who still dare to help with the harvest, the sugarcane fields continue to serve as camouflage for the leopards whose population has risen in the Junnar, Ambegaon, Khed, and Shirur tehsils. The families of these labourers often live in temporary settlements near the fields with the children playing nearby, increasing their exposure to potential attacks. Farm workers usually start their day at 4 am to avoid the heat, but this schedule makes them particularly vulnerable to leopard attacks.
“The workers are afraid and many have already stopped coming to work,” Belhekar said, adding that incidents involving women and children being mistaken for prey have added to the panic. As a result, labourers are all but avoiding the sugarcane fields which may force the sugarcane farmers to reconsider planting the crop next season.
Vivek Kakde, director, Vignahar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Junnar, said, “Leopards have always hidden in sugarcane fields but with their population increasing, more workers are deciding not to come. In recent years, we have seen more reluctance among the labourers. This may not have hit production yet but with fewer workers, it could affect our output.”
Some sugar factory officials have taken up cudgels against the attacks. Balasaheb Bhende of Bhimashankar Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana in Ambegaon, said, “The threat of leopard attacks is real and it is affecting the labourers’ willingness to work in these fields. Although sugar production hasn’t dropped, the situation could disrupt our operations in the near future. We have filed a PIL in the Bombay HC seeking sterilisation of leopards as a preventive step.”
The forest department, which frequently receives requests from farmers and villagers for action against leopards, has yet to receive formal communication from the factory officials about the manpower issue or the PIL. “We are aware of the situation but we have not received official correspondence from the factories,” said Amol Satpute, deputy conservator of forests, Junnar.
Junnar forest dept. to provide neck belts to farmers
Consistent leopard sightings, growing leopard attacks, and citizens’ outrage in leopard-prone areas such as Junnar, Ambegaon and Shirur have prompted the forest department to come up with safety initiatives. One such is the thorn-embedded, lightweight, plastic fibre neck belt developed in collaboration with Simu Soft Technology and Vidya Pratishthan Baramati. Starting next month, the forest department will distribute these neck belts to farmers and farm workers, especially those working in areas identified as leopard hotspots, to protect them from grievous injuries in leopard attacks.
Amol Satpute, deputy conservator of forests, Junnar forest department, said, “Back-to-back leopard attacks in May this year have created the need for safety measures. Considering this, Simu Soft Technology, which is also working on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) project in Junnar, has developed a prototype neck belt. We have tested the same and after successful trials and due permission and additional funds from the district collector, we will now develop more such belts and begin distributing them from next month.”
