JAIPUR: Madhya Pradesh government on Thursday ruled out tiger relocation from the state to boost big cat population in Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve.
"We don't have surplus tigers,'' MP forest minister Sartaj Singh told reporters in Bhopal. The refusal came after Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh wrote to MP and Maharashtra CMs and asked them to provide a few tigers to Sariska. Singh said he had no knowledge of Ramesh's letter. MP has the highest big cat population.
Officials said their plans of boosting tiger population in Sariska depends heavily on the relocation.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Jairam vs Kamal Nath again?
In what seems to be a season for sniping ministers, Jairam Ramesh (environment) and Kamal Nath (road transport) may be headed for a second round of confrontation. The reason: an Environment Ministry committee's refusal to allow seven coal mining projects in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district, the constituency Nath represents in Parliament.
Ramesh and Nath have already gone a round over the former's refusal to allow the widening of a national highway passing through Pench tiger reserve in Chhindwara, on the advice of the Supreme Court's central empowered committee.
This time, a committee constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority — which falls under the environment ministry — has said the seven projects shouldn't be allowed as they fall in the tiger corridor connecting Pench and Satpura reserves.
"Allowing coal mining will destroy a narrow corridor used by tigers to move from one reserve to another," a committee member said.
The state government hasn't notified the area as a tiger corridor but the committee based its recommendation on maps provided by the Wildlife Institute of India.
"During our field inspection we were told tigers frequent the corridor," the member said.
The committee was tasked with examining the impact of these projects on tiger conservation following protests by NGOs and conservationists.
The Environment Ministry's forest advisory committee is likely to examine the recommendation at its meeting this month, ministry officials said.
Nath had days ago taken on the Planning Commission, calling it an "armchair advisor" oblivious to "ground realities".
Ramesh has had his share of problems too - civil aviation minister Praful Patel accused him of being "overly obsessive" and delaying the proposed Mumbai airport while coal minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal held him responsible for delaying forest clearance for mining projects.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Jairam-vs-Kamal-Nath-again/Article1-573010.aspx
BNHS takes save forest plan to Tadoba, Pench hamlets
PUNE: Saving the tiger through as many ways as possible has become a mission with environmentalists.
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has set up a tiger cell' to save the wild cat's habitat by creating awareness among villagers living close to Tadoba-Andhari and the Pench tiger reserves to conserve the forest. The programme is a part of the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Project (SLTP) and is supported by the UK-based Born Free organisation.
The environmentalists believe that if the habitat is conserved, it will go a long way in saving the feline species that is on the verge of extinction.
Sanjay Karkare, education officer of the cell, who works in Tadoba and Pench (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) areas, said the mobile education unit focuses on undertaking activities in schools.
Last year, more than 229 programmes were conducted in schools in the peripheral areas of Tadoba-Andhari and Pench tiger reserves for over 10,000 children.
They were educated through lectures, slide-shows, paintings, competitions, nature camps and field outings. Besides, activities such as Nisarga Melawa' and Tadoba Mahostav' are also held.
Karkare said the villagers are completely dependent on forests for fuel wood, cattle grazing, bamboo, flowers (to make liquor) and leaves. For example, the villagers in Tadoba are dependent on bamboo to weave baskets that is sold.
"If we tell them about climate change and its impact, it may not percolate as 80-90 per cent are tribals, underprivileged and living below the poverty line. So we simply explain them the importance of forests for themselves and the need to conserve them for future generations,'' he said.
"We have to find an alternative to stop this dependency on forest wealth. In some villages we educated them and gave them bamboo shoots to grow near their huts instead of cutting the forest plants,'' said Karkare.
Mohan Jha, field director of the Pench tiger reserve, also stressed on the need for awareness among villagers. "They are the primary stakeholders of forest wealth and hence it is important to educate them," he said.
On the Tiger Cell' programme, Karkare said that one of the success stories was the orientation programme held for women at Tikade village. "They were educated through slide-shows, films and lectures. We covered forest fire, fuel wood and bamboo collection, water-forest relation, importance of forests for future generations. After the orientation, the women decided to repair bio gas units. Earlier, the education officers had visited this village thrice to repair the bio gas units but the villagers were unwilling to let them,'' he said. There are also instances where students put out forest fires, saved birds and took up plantation.
Karkare, who works in 62 village schools, said, "We plan to make a questionnaire and distribute it among teachers and students to know their awareness level about forests and its conservation. We will also get their feedback.''
The social forestry department supported the cell's activities by sponsoring a camp for students and teachers of the National Green Corps. Department director Prakash
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has set up a tiger cell' to save the wild cat's habitat by creating awareness among villagers living close to Tadoba-Andhari and the Pench tiger reserves to conserve the forest. The programme is a part of the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Project (SLTP) and is supported by the UK-based Born Free organisation.
The environmentalists believe that if the habitat is conserved, it will go a long way in saving the feline species that is on the verge of extinction.
Sanjay Karkare, education officer of the cell, who works in Tadoba and Pench (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) areas, said the mobile education unit focuses on undertaking activities in schools.
Last year, more than 229 programmes were conducted in schools in the peripheral areas of Tadoba-Andhari and Pench tiger reserves for over 10,000 children.
They were educated through lectures, slide-shows, paintings, competitions, nature camps and field outings. Besides, activities such as Nisarga Melawa' and Tadoba Mahostav' are also held.
Karkare said the villagers are completely dependent on forests for fuel wood, cattle grazing, bamboo, flowers (to make liquor) and leaves. For example, the villagers in Tadoba are dependent on bamboo to weave baskets that is sold.
"If we tell them about climate change and its impact, it may not percolate as 80-90 per cent are tribals, underprivileged and living below the poverty line. So we simply explain them the importance of forests for themselves and the need to conserve them for future generations,'' he said.
"We have to find an alternative to stop this dependency on forest wealth. In some villages we educated them and gave them bamboo shoots to grow near their huts instead of cutting the forest plants,'' said Karkare.
Mohan Jha, field director of the Pench tiger reserve, also stressed on the need for awareness among villagers. "They are the primary stakeholders of forest wealth and hence it is important to educate them," he said.
On the Tiger Cell' programme, Karkare said that one of the success stories was the orientation programme held for women at Tikade village. "They were educated through slide-shows, films and lectures. We covered forest fire, fuel wood and bamboo collection, water-forest relation, importance of forests for future generations. After the orientation, the women decided to repair bio gas units. Earlier, the education officers had visited this village thrice to repair the bio gas units but the villagers were unwilling to let them,'' he said. There are also instances where students put out forest fires, saved birds and took up plantation.
Karkare, who works in 62 village schools, said, "We plan to make a questionnaire and distribute it among teachers and students to know their awareness level about forests and its conservation. We will also get their feedback.''
The social forestry department supported the cell's activities by sponsoring a camp for students and teachers of the National Green Corps. Department director Prakash
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)