SAJNEKHALI: A three-storey luxury lodge for tourists, with spacious rooms and an expansive lobby, spread over 15,000 sq ft in the heart of tiger territory in the Sunderbans. This might sound shocking to conservationists and nature-lovers, but not the state tourism department. It has wrapped up about half the construction work, next to the forest department office at Sajnekhali, which saw tiger intrusions twice in the last fortnight.
What's worse, the building is less than 10 feet from a sweet water pond that is frequented by tigers, deer, fishing cats, wild boar and sundry other animals. Apart from driving away the creatures who will obviously be forced to look for quieter pastures once tourists move in, the environmental impact of such a facility could be crippling for the mangrove forest, experts warn.
The signs of construction-induced damage are already visible and have set alarm bells ringing. Tonnes of soft earth has been scooped up from an adjacent plot for the lodge although it is illegal to excavate forest land. It has left dozens of mangrove plantations in a precarious state with their roots hanging loose. Many have already toppled while the rest could fall soon.
Heaps of iron beams, wooden planks, bamboo poles and other construction material lie piled up at the site. Tonnes of nails are regularly dumped into the muddy ground around the building which could injure animals, say forest officials who are aghast at the decision to let the construction work go ahead. Two storeys of the building have already been built.
There are also concerns that the lodge may be airconditioned (the existing lodge at Sajnekhali has no air-conditioners). The tourism department denied it but site supervisors admitted that they have been ordered to create AC vents. The department also claims that no new construction is happening in the area and that the existing lodge was "merely being extended".
"Our old lodge is in a deplorable state so we are redesigning it and adding an extra wing. The construction is happening within the tourism zone and not within the forest area," said TVN Rao, managing director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. Tourism minister Manab Mukherjee termed it as a renovation work, but cryptically added that he was not sure if it was a tourism zone. "It is a forest department complex and we are renovating the existing lodge which is in a bad shape," said Mukherjee.
Conservationists say this is not in the rule book. "According to a Supreme Court order, no construction is allowed within 500 metres of sanctuaries, certainly not inside forests. This particular area is a tiger habitat. So, this is a gross violation of the rule," said F S Rathod, veteran conservationist.
The big cats regularly come to Sajnekhali. A tigress in fact jumped the walls and prowled the lodge complex for nearly a day, scaring a bunch of tourists and foresters out of their living daylights.
Sunderban Biosphere Reserve director Pradip Vyas confirmed that no new construction was permitted within a notified sanctuary. "As far as I know, the tourism department had sought permission to extend the existing facility and they have been allowed to do that. No new structure is being built," said Vyas.
The reality, however, was quite different. The "extension" is at least three times the size of the old lodge and should qualify as a new structure since it is not connected to the old one. "We shall take care to ensure minimum interference with nature. Also, this will be run by the tourism department and won't be handed over to any private organization," Rao clarified.
"It is surprising that a construction of this scale has been allowed inside Sunderbans. You need a clearance from the West Bengal Bio-diversity Board and a no-objection certificate from the Pollution Control Board for this. These clearances have to be preceded by an environment impact assessment which a project like this is bound to fail," said Sudipto Bhattacharya, an environment activist and pollution expert.
Tiger expert Valmik Thapar agreed. "Even though I am not a legal expert, it seems a little weird. There should have been an impact study undertaken by the forest department and the tourism authorities before allowing construction. I wonder if it is legally and environmentally justifiable. Having a big lodge on a Sunderbans island cannot be beneficial for wild animals," said Thapar.
The lodge could also endanger tourists. Two weeks back, a tigress had used a mound of mud created for the construction work to jump the perimeter fence. The new lodge is right next to a sweetwater pond. Last Tuesday, a tiger that had been lurking in the area and making forays into a neighbouring village was trapped barely 100 yards from the new lodge. Its male companion is still hovering around the complex. Forest employees have pictures of tigers taken at the sweet water pond. At least two tigers now visit the pond regularly, they say.
"The lodge will lead to more man-tiger encounters and eventually the latter will have to retreat from the area. It could also lead to more strayings as tigers will look for alternative pastures," warned Rathod.
Union minister of state for tourism Sultan Ahmed has expressed concern at the project. "I have asked for the details and will find out if there has been a violation of the rules," said Ahmed.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Punish the poachers
Police, courts must act to protect our wildlife
At a juncture, when the Union Environment Ministry and conservationists are brain-storming about how to enhance protection of wildlife, especially endangered species such as tigers and leopards, the Supreme Court almost awarded bail to poaching kingpin Sansar Chand. In a Jaipur jail for the past four years for the crime of trading in banned animal parts and skins, his plea for bail was reported to have elicited a sympathetic hearing from the two-judge bench. It remarked that he deserved bail because he had “not killed men but animals”. (Italics ours.) Then the recollection of his notorious past dawned upon one of the judges. The bench granted the Rajasthan Government four weeks time to file its response, and also allowed the Wildlife Protection Society of India and Wildlife Trust of India to file pleas against award of bail.
The previous year, the apex court had shockingly suspended the jail term of the habitual offender in August 2009. But, fortunately, he was not let out on account of numerous pending cases in trial courts. Over 40 cases relating to wildlife crimes have been filed against Sansar Chand, but he is said to have been convicted in only two. His criminal activities began in the mid-1980s. The man and his accomplices are an absolute menace, with CBI sources claiming that they controlled almost half of the illicit wildlife trade. The last time he was given bail was in mid-2004, a judicial decision that was to prove disastrous for the Sariska tiger reserve. On April 29, 2004, the Ajmer Government Railway Police arrested him. Though sentenced to a five-year prison term, his plea for bail was favourably heard by the Ajmer sessions court. He was let out of prison after about three weeks. Thereafter, he is charged with having engineered the poaching of Sariska’s 22 tigers.
He was again arrested in June 2005, and has been in prison since then; and should continue to remain there for the sake of our depleting wildlife. Bheema, a suspected accomplice of Sansar Chand, was arrested in November by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. He had earlier been let out on bail in 2005 despite being charged in numerous cases. Clearly, the lax application of existing laws governing wildlife-related crimes is to blame for habitual offenders managing easily to get bail, and then resuming operations without worry. This is a comment not only on the police’s handling of such cases but the judiciary’s approach to them.
Now that Sariska reserve is struggling to rebuild its tiger population, with three big cats having been transferred from Ranthambore National Park, it needs to be emphasised repeatedly that Sansar Chand and others of his ilk should not be allowed to move about freely. Otherwise, these three tigers will also be targeted. In another disgusting instance of the ineptitude of wildlife custodians, and complicity of local people and guards in poaching, Panna reserve’s tigers were all found to have disappeared. This fact came to light early last year. The whole administrative system in place in wildlife reserves and national parks needs an immediate overhaul, the existing one having failed miserably.
Most important, cases involving crimes and violations under the Wildlife Protection Act need to be treated as seriously by the police, Interpol and courts as the most heinous offences. The proposed amendment to the act spells out penalties. A first crime against critical species will be punishable by a jail term of five-seven years and fine of Rs 5 lakh. Subsequent offences of the same nature will invite a seven-year prison sentence and Rs 25 lakh fine. An offence relating to trade in critical species incurs a seven-year jail term and Rs 25 lakh fine. Subsequent offence, again linked to such trade, will be punished with a seven-year prison sentence and Rs 50 lakh fine. Penalties for trade and crimes related to other species are also detailed. Those allowing space and place to be misused for wildlife crimes also come under the ambit of this law.
But the best intentions, put down on paper, can only work if offenders are actually convicted of the crimes that they are accused of, and sentenced. The Sariska and Panna examples bear testimony to the freedom with which poachers and their accomplices operate under the very nose, so to say, of the directors and other personnel of sanctuaries and parks. Once caught, they should be tried and given exemplary punishment so that they abandon poaching and illicit trade. But the practice of giving them a reprieve betrays the reprehensible laxity both of the police and courts.
At a juncture, when the Union Environment Ministry and conservationists are brain-storming about how to enhance protection of wildlife, especially endangered species such as tigers and leopards, the Supreme Court almost awarded bail to poaching kingpin Sansar Chand. In a Jaipur jail for the past four years for the crime of trading in banned animal parts and skins, his plea for bail was reported to have elicited a sympathetic hearing from the two-judge bench. It remarked that he deserved bail because he had “not killed men but animals”. (Italics ours.) Then the recollection of his notorious past dawned upon one of the judges. The bench granted the Rajasthan Government four weeks time to file its response, and also allowed the Wildlife Protection Society of India and Wildlife Trust of India to file pleas against award of bail.
The previous year, the apex court had shockingly suspended the jail term of the habitual offender in August 2009. But, fortunately, he was not let out on account of numerous pending cases in trial courts. Over 40 cases relating to wildlife crimes have been filed against Sansar Chand, but he is said to have been convicted in only two. His criminal activities began in the mid-1980s. The man and his accomplices are an absolute menace, with CBI sources claiming that they controlled almost half of the illicit wildlife trade. The last time he was given bail was in mid-2004, a judicial decision that was to prove disastrous for the Sariska tiger reserve. On April 29, 2004, the Ajmer Government Railway Police arrested him. Though sentenced to a five-year prison term, his plea for bail was favourably heard by the Ajmer sessions court. He was let out of prison after about three weeks. Thereafter, he is charged with having engineered the poaching of Sariska’s 22 tigers.
He was again arrested in June 2005, and has been in prison since then; and should continue to remain there for the sake of our depleting wildlife. Bheema, a suspected accomplice of Sansar Chand, was arrested in November by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. He had earlier been let out on bail in 2005 despite being charged in numerous cases. Clearly, the lax application of existing laws governing wildlife-related crimes is to blame for habitual offenders managing easily to get bail, and then resuming operations without worry. This is a comment not only on the police’s handling of such cases but the judiciary’s approach to them.
Now that Sariska reserve is struggling to rebuild its tiger population, with three big cats having been transferred from Ranthambore National Park, it needs to be emphasised repeatedly that Sansar Chand and others of his ilk should not be allowed to move about freely. Otherwise, these three tigers will also be targeted. In another disgusting instance of the ineptitude of wildlife custodians, and complicity of local people and guards in poaching, Panna reserve’s tigers were all found to have disappeared. This fact came to light early last year. The whole administrative system in place in wildlife reserves and national parks needs an immediate overhaul, the existing one having failed miserably.
Most important, cases involving crimes and violations under the Wildlife Protection Act need to be treated as seriously by the police, Interpol and courts as the most heinous offences. The proposed amendment to the act spells out penalties. A first crime against critical species will be punishable by a jail term of five-seven years and fine of Rs 5 lakh. Subsequent offences of the same nature will invite a seven-year prison sentence and Rs 25 lakh fine. An offence relating to trade in critical species incurs a seven-year jail term and Rs 25 lakh fine. Subsequent offence, again linked to such trade, will be punished with a seven-year prison sentence and Rs 50 lakh fine. Penalties for trade and crimes related to other species are also detailed. Those allowing space and place to be misused for wildlife crimes also come under the ambit of this law.
But the best intentions, put down on paper, can only work if offenders are actually convicted of the crimes that they are accused of, and sentenced. The Sariska and Panna examples bear testimony to the freedom with which poachers and their accomplices operate under the very nose, so to say, of the directors and other personnel of sanctuaries and parks. Once caught, they should be tried and given exemplary punishment so that they abandon poaching and illicit trade. But the practice of giving them a reprieve betrays the reprehensible laxity both of the police and courts.
Forests in Madhya Pradesh go hi tech
Madhya Pradesh is using a number of Information Technology applications, including personal digital assistants mobile phone, for conserving its forest and wildlife treasures, especially tiger reserves.
In Kanha and Satpura Tiger Reserve, the entire forest staff has been equipped with the PDA phones not just only to report sighting of wildlife, but also illegal felling of trees deep inside the forests.
"Also, various other Information and Communication Technology initiatives launched by the forest department for the conservation of forest and wildlife have resulted in effective monitoring of the two precious wealth of the state," additional principal chief conservator of forests, Anil Oberoi told PTI.
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