Sujanpur battles bat menace

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, October 29

Panic has gripped the residents of Sujanpur as thousands of bats are swarming the town, leading to the fear of spread of Covid.

The presence of these mammals is giving sleepless nights and fearful days to the residents, who are seeking the help of local authorities, including administration, Nagar Panchayat and Forest Department, to tackle the problem. However, nobody has paid heed to their problem so far.

Kushal Kumar Awasthi, a resident of Brahampuri Mohalla in the town, said their life had turned miserable with the roosting of the bats. “The presence of these undesirable creatures has added to screeching noise, pungent smell in the air and the mammal even attacking humans in a few cases,” he rued.

Asha Kumari, another local, said people were unable to sleep due to the screeching sounds. The foul smell emanated by them could cause outbreak of an epidemic if remedial steps were not taken soon. Rahul Rahane, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), said a study was conducted on how to move bats from the Sujanpur town. They could be driven away by using fire crackers in the day and lopping the branches of the trees they were roosting on.

Anil Joshi, Chief Conservator of Forest, said the department would soon initiate action to provide relief to the residents.