Pench's anti-poaching squad defunct since two years

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 12, 2011, 03.30AM IST NAGPUR: The anti-poaching squad attached to the Pench Tiger Reserve seems to have virtually been poached! The squad is allegedly non-functional for the past over two years with its in charge-officer handling dual charges. With the anti-poaching squad becoming defunct, illegal fishing in Totladoh reservoir inside the tiger reserve has increased. On November 29, 13 villagers from Fulzari were arrested for poisoning Pench waters for getting better fish yield. However, A Ashraf, chief conservator of forests (CCF), Pench, denies that the squad has become defunct. As per the Supreme Court orders, fishing in Pench tiger reserve is prohibited. Yet, it continues rampantly. The fishermen, residing on the periphery of Pench reserve, enter the reservoir in the evening and are involved in fishing throughout the night. Huge cache of fish is shifted outside the reserve early morning and despatched to Nagpur in private vehicles. Sporadic action by the officials has failed to deter fishermen, for whom fishing is the only source of easy livelihood. The squad comprises one range forest officer (RFO) and two forest guards. RFO KG Patil, who heads the squad, is in additional charge of East Pench range since April 20, 2009 after S T Londhe was shifted to Kuhi. Since then Patil is holding dual charge of a range as well as the squad. The two guards with the anti-poaching squad sit idle at Nagpur office. Ashraf admits that a squad of three is too meagre to take on many fishermen. "Yet, we do patrolling in the wee hours, a fact which cannot be noticed by the outsiders. You have to see it to believe it. As the RFO concerned stays at Pench, it helps to control fishing," he says. However, the fact remains that there is no action against the culprits by the anti-poaching squad. The patrolling boats at Pench are lying idle and fishing is going on right under the nose of the squad - even near the dam wall where the squad is posted. The fishing activity has caused lot of disturbance in the park affecting wildlife. The issue calls for a proper posting policy. The new incumbent, A D Kulkarni from Beed district, who has been posted to East Pench in August, is left with just 16 months to retire. He is on leave due to family problems but is expected to join on December 18. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Penchs-anti-poaching-squad-defunct-since-two-years/articleshow/11076049.cms