SEMADOH (MELGHAT): Although direct sighting of tigers did not happen in the rugged terrain of Melghat during the five-day exercise of wildlife and habitat estimation, it still produced substantial evidence about the wild cats' presence- raising hopes of their long-term survival here.
The in-house exercise, conducted from January 27 to 31, with the help of 400 staffers and around 25 volunteers in 230 beats of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), comprising Akot, Sipna and Gugamal Wildlife Divisions was testing time for the field staff.
This was revision of a similar exercise carried out all over India by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, between January 27 and February 3 last year.
Tigers have always remained elusive in MTR, fondly called the 'Kipling Country' and known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys. Tourists in the past one year (December 2010 to January 2011) have reported just three tiger and five leopard sightings. Yet, clinching evidence of carnivores like pugmarks, scrape and scent marks, scats etc. show tigers and leopards are very much around. They are rarely spotted due to complex landscape and dense forest cover. Also, large areas are not accessible to tourists.
The officials' joy knew no bound when they received reports of direct sighting of leopard and two cubs and a tiger each in Semadoh and Chourakund forest ranges in the Sipna Wildlife Division.
"It is a good sign. For the past over two years, the field staff has been rigorously monitoring their respective areas and maintaining registers about sightings. This is helping us know of the animals' presence. For those who don't believe there are tigers in Melghat, we can present them the evidence. We have maintained complete transparency," said A K Mishra, field director & conservator of forests of MTR.
Apart from indirect evidence of leopards and tigers on pugmark impression pads (PIPs), direct sightings of herbivores like chitals and sambars were also reported from transact lines. There was also good evidence of bisons, porcupines, hyenas too. Melghat, where poor prey base is still an issue, even direct sightings of herbivores came as a good news for the staff.
Volunteers were disturbed to see cattle sharing territory with wild animals even in core area. "We saw cow dung and pellets of sambar on the same transact lines in Semadoh area, indicating that grazing was a big problem in Melghat," said Sandeep Dhahad, a volunteer from Nagpur.
Mishra admits grazing is the biggest threat in the reserve. "It has affected prey base in Melghat, but for the past two years, we have been tough on grazers. Offences against unauthorised grazers were brought down from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-10.
"Tracking down signs and collecting evidence on transact lines on hillocks and river banks was not a child's play. At one point, we felt like giving up due to many ups and downs in the three-km transact. It came to traversing nearly 10 kms a day but it was also an exciting experience," said Smith Malkan and Adarsh, both students from Mumbai, who participated in the exercise for the first time.
"Our day started at 5.30 am and ended at 11.30 am. The transact lines were located two km away from Semadoh, where we were based. We saw pugmarks of two different tigers on both days in Jawaharkund area. A farmer also claimed to have seen a tiger near the periphery of the reserve," both added.
Some volunteers were disappointed at not sighting animals despite moving in core zone. Mishra explained, "Over 80% of the MTR is teak forest. Since December, the trees have been shedding leaves. You can see carpet of teak leaves everywhere. The rustling of leaves makes sightings difficult and also proves a hurdle in collecting evidence."
Despite 70% of the MTR field staff being above 50 years, the exercise went well as almost all participated seriously. Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Sipna, says, "We have tightened screws on field staff that was in habit of absconding from duty without prior information. In the past two years, several surprise checks on protection huts have been conducted and erring employees have been punished. This has yielded results," he says.
IMP BOX
55 tigers in Melghat?
In 2010, the exercise of all India monitoring of tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat, was carried out. The data have been compiled and submitted to Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The field data collection shows tiger occupancy in almost all areas of critical tiger habitat (CTH) of the MTR. The carnivore signs for tiger collected during the exercise indicate presence of tiger in 55 out of 87 beats of Gugamal Division and 63 out of 96 beats in Sipna Division. Official sources claim due to terrain, topography, density of the forests and biotic interference, sightings are difficult. But group patrolling, protection camps, sighting reports, captures by camera trap, cattle kill etc. are regularly carried out. Proper documentation is maintained at different levels and data collected show presence of 40-55 tigers.
However, in 2005-06, the monitoring had revealed that Melghat, part of the Satpuda landscape, has tiger presence in 1,828 sq km, and supports a population of 21-39 tigers. The tiger distribution in Melghat is contiguous with the population in Madhya Pradesh. The latest result shows that Melghat has come up silently.
Testing time for staff
The in-house exercise to count tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat was a testing time for the forest guards and foresters of Melghat, who, for the first time, had to appear for an exam of 100 marks at Semadoh on the first day (January 27). "This was just to test the knowledge of the staff and had nothing to do with their appraisals," said field director A K Mishra.
The descriptive paper consisted of rights and duties of guards and foresters. Besides, there were objective type questions, fill in the blanks and match the following on issues like wildlife crime, monitoring, patrolling, forest fires, line transact method etc. This is perhaps for the first time that a test for field staff has been conducted. "It will refurbish the knowledge of the staff," felt Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna Division.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Divisional commissioner visits Tadoba to speed up relocation of villages
CHANDRAPUR: In a bid to give speed up relocation and rehabilitation of villages inside Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), divisional commissioner BV Gopal Reddy on Monday sanctioned several amenities for the villagers of Bhagwanpur. These people had been rehabilitated out of the tiger reserve a few years back. The new works would serve twofold motive of developing Bhagwanpur village and encouraging the remaining villages to move out of TATR.
Commissioner Reddy was here on Monday to review the status of relocating villages out of the tiger reserve as per the directives of the high court. After a marathon meeting with revenue and forest officials at the district collectorate, Reddy visited TATR and heard out the woes of villagers living inside the tiger reserve.
"He sanctioned series of amenities demanded by Bhagwanpur villagers and directed revenue and forest officials to see that they are executed in a time-bound manner. The villagers who were rehabilitated under pervious package of Rs 1 lakh, a few years back in Bhagwanpur, would get monetary incentive to compensate the loss. Also, several of their demands related to change of agricultural land, irrigation facilities, levelling and paddy-bunding of farms etc are going to the fulfilled," said CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao, who is also project officer for the rehabilitation process.
Rao claimed that rehabilitated villagers would get incentive of Rs 47,000 each, as against the latest package of Rs 10 lakh per family of National Tiger Conservation Authority. He informed that the commissioner has approved 17 cases of change of agricultural land and directed levelling and paddy-bunding of around 30 hectares of land under National Employment Guarantee scheme in Bhagwanpur.
Moreover, the commissioner directed building of common irrigation well for small groups of farmers from Bhagwanpur under a scheme to improve irrigation facilities. Villagers were complaining since long about lack of irrigation from existing pond built for Bhagwanpur. "Common wells for small group of 7-8 farmers would help address their irrigation problem. All the works would be executed in time-bound manner," Rao added.
He further informed that commissioner agreed to relocate public health centre (PHC) from Kolsa village in TATR to the rehabilitated Bhagwanpur village, but maintained that health facilities at existing Kolsa village would continue. "A doctor would visit the village Kolsa thrice a week to provide health facilities. The commissioner has also directed revenue officials to forward a proposal seeking approval for gram panchayat status for Bhagwanpur to the government," he added. Officials have also been directed to see that Bhagwanpur villagers get ample work under employment guarantee scheme now onwards.
Rao further informed that the proposal of rehabilitating villages Jamni and Navegaon-Ramdegi under new Rs 10 lakh package has been already forwarded to the NTCA for final approval. The relocation process would be initiated after release of funds. Process for preparation of rehabilitation proposal of Palasgaon village is in the offing, he said.
"Earlier Palasgaon was scheduled to be relocated to village Bhagwanpur along with Botezari and Kolsa villages. But the entire Palasgaon village and some Kolsa villagers backed away from the rehabilitation process a few years back. Now, they have selected an alternate rehabilitation site at compartment no. 11 in Warora forest range. Soon after district collectorate approves the number of beneficiary families, a proposal for their rehabilitation would be forwarded to NTCA. The land acquired for Palasgaon villagers earlier at Bhagwanpur site would be surrendered to the government," said Rao.
Similarly, forest department has already acquired land to rehabilitate Rantalodhi villagers in compartment no. 186 of Saoli forest range, however after they backed away they were asked to select other options. As soon as they finalise the relocation site, their proposal also would be forwarded, said Rao.
Commissioner Reddy was here on Monday to review the status of relocating villages out of the tiger reserve as per the directives of the high court. After a marathon meeting with revenue and forest officials at the district collectorate, Reddy visited TATR and heard out the woes of villagers living inside the tiger reserve.
"He sanctioned series of amenities demanded by Bhagwanpur villagers and directed revenue and forest officials to see that they are executed in a time-bound manner. The villagers who were rehabilitated under pervious package of Rs 1 lakh, a few years back in Bhagwanpur, would get monetary incentive to compensate the loss. Also, several of their demands related to change of agricultural land, irrigation facilities, levelling and paddy-bunding of farms etc are going to the fulfilled," said CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao, who is also project officer for the rehabilitation process.
Rao claimed that rehabilitated villagers would get incentive of Rs 47,000 each, as against the latest package of Rs 10 lakh per family of National Tiger Conservation Authority. He informed that the commissioner has approved 17 cases of change of agricultural land and directed levelling and paddy-bunding of around 30 hectares of land under National Employment Guarantee scheme in Bhagwanpur.
Moreover, the commissioner directed building of common irrigation well for small groups of farmers from Bhagwanpur under a scheme to improve irrigation facilities. Villagers were complaining since long about lack of irrigation from existing pond built for Bhagwanpur. "Common wells for small group of 7-8 farmers would help address their irrigation problem. All the works would be executed in time-bound manner," Rao added.
He further informed that commissioner agreed to relocate public health centre (PHC) from Kolsa village in TATR to the rehabilitated Bhagwanpur village, but maintained that health facilities at existing Kolsa village would continue. "A doctor would visit the village Kolsa thrice a week to provide health facilities. The commissioner has also directed revenue officials to forward a proposal seeking approval for gram panchayat status for Bhagwanpur to the government," he added. Officials have also been directed to see that Bhagwanpur villagers get ample work under employment guarantee scheme now onwards.
Rao further informed that the proposal of rehabilitating villages Jamni and Navegaon-Ramdegi under new Rs 10 lakh package has been already forwarded to the NTCA for final approval. The relocation process would be initiated after release of funds. Process for preparation of rehabilitation proposal of Palasgaon village is in the offing, he said.
"Earlier Palasgaon was scheduled to be relocated to village Bhagwanpur along with Botezari and Kolsa villages. But the entire Palasgaon village and some Kolsa villagers backed away from the rehabilitation process a few years back. Now, they have selected an alternate rehabilitation site at compartment no. 11 in Warora forest range. Soon after district collectorate approves the number of beneficiary families, a proposal for their rehabilitation would be forwarded to NTCA. The land acquired for Palasgaon villagers earlier at Bhagwanpur site would be surrendered to the government," said Rao.
Similarly, forest department has already acquired land to rehabilitate Rantalodhi villagers in compartment no. 186 of Saoli forest range, however after they backed away they were asked to select other options. As soon as they finalise the relocation site, their proposal also would be forwarded, said Rao.
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