Green alert: Karnataka transfers 178 forest watchers to tiger reserves

By M Raghuram
In a surprising decision, the government has ordered the transfer of 178 forest watchers to the wildlife division to keep an eye on the tiger reserves of the state.

The order has not only created a serious shortage of personnel in the forest department, but also made life easier for the tree-fellers.

The order copy (No 38/2011-12) issued from the principal chief conservator of forests, exclusively available with DNA, has directed all the deputy conservators of forests, assistant conservators of forests and range forest officers to relieve the watchers immediately to take their positions in four different tiger conservation projects of Nagarahole, Bandipur, Bhadra and Anashi Tiger reserves.

The order transfers 60 watchers from Chamarajanagar, Kollegal, Mysore, Hunsur, Mandya, Chikmagalur, Koppa, Sirsi, Yellapur, Haliyal, Honnavar and Haveri to Bandipur Tiger Reserve, 63 from Karwar, Shimoga, Tumkur, Gulburga, Yadgir, Madikeri, Virajpet, Bellary, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Koppal, Ramanagar and Belgaum to Hunsur Wildlife division, 37 from Mangalore, Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural districts to Bhadra wildlife division, Chikmagalur and 18 from Kundapur and Kolar to Dandeli wildlife division in Uttara Kannada district.

This decision comes in the wake of Karnataka being declared as having the largest number of tigers in the wild in the country.

Questioning the decision, the green activists are baffled at the government order. “First, the government says no to the world heritage tag offer from the Unesco to 10 different in Western Ghats sites. Now, they have removed the watchers from the forests.

What could be the intention of the government?” asked Panduranga Pai of Sirsi Parisara Okkuta. Many of the forests are Naxalite-infested. It could be recalled that it was a watcher who had first reported Naxalite activities in Kudremukh National Park in 2001.

“Watchers are the primary source of information for the forest department. Their information was like the first information report for the police. Based on their report the officials rush to the spot and take required action in situations.

Without them many of the range forests will not have their eyes and ears,” said a forest official on conditions of anonymity.

However, the principal chief conservator of forests IB Shrivatsava said that the forest department will recruit more watchers and guards in the days to come. But it is a long-drawn process to fill up the posts created due to the en masse transfer.

To fill up the vacancies, it would need a year or so, during which period many things may go wrong, fear the green activists.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_green-alert-karnataka-transfers-178-forest-watchers-to-tiger-reserves_1563558