Guwahati, Nov. 1: An expert team constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has opposed the construction of fencing and patrol road along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Dampa tiger reserve as it would have an impact on the movement of wildlife.
Dampa tiger reserve shares international boundary with Bangladesh for around 127km in the southern part of the reserve.
The team was asked by the NTCA to carry out an appraisal of the reserve as it has been categorised as “poor” because of its low tiger numbers.
“The team feels that if the border outpost and concrete road and fence are constructed, the movement of animals across the border to use the suitable forest areas for ecological needs of the species concerned would vastly reduce if not completely stopped. This could hamper conservation of tiger and other key species in Dampa tiger reserve. If migration of species is stopped because of the construction of border outposts and concrete patrolling roads and fences within the reserve, this could attract disrespect for the conservation of migratory species at global level,” the report submitted to the NTCA recently said.
Seven border outposts are planned to set up in the 62km stretch of the core of the reserve.
A senior official of Dampa tiger reserve said the proposal for construction of fencing and patrol road would hamper the movement of wildlife. The Kassalong reserve forest in Bangladesh is located on other side of the border.
“There should be talks between officials of India and Bangladesh on the issue of wildlife movement as has been done in case of India and Nepal,” the official said.
The team opined that any patrolling road and fence within the tiger reserve should not be encouraged and no concrete road and fence should be allowed within the reserve.
“If for security reasons, the establishment of border outpost is essential for the security of the country, a joint and formal patrolling strategy by the BSF and forest staff should be encouraged under the leadership of the field director of Dampa tiger reserve and the deputy inspector-general of the BSF of the region,” the report said.
The Mizoram forest department is also awaiting a team of the NTCA for conducting site inspection and suggest alternatives and precautionary measures.
Dampa tiger reserve has been categorised as poor by the earlier studies carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India and the NTCA.
Camera trapping exercise in the tiger reserve could find other salient cat species like clouded leopard, leopard, leopard cat and others but so far failed to get a tiger trapped in those cameras.
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