MP govt, wildlife dept at loggerheads over buffer zone for tiger reserve

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, March 15, 2012 Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the state wildlife department seem to be at loggerheads over notifying a buffer zone around the Panna tiger reserve. Chauhan was against declaring the area as a buffer zone in consideration of the local opposition, mostly comprising the mining mafia in the region. The same people were said to be responsible for firing at police personnel last Friday, an incident that culminated in the arrest of dacoit-turned-sand miner Kuber Singh. “People are more important than tigers,” Chauhan had said when local wildlife enthusiasts and the environment ministry sought the declaration of the green buffer zone around the reserve, rejecting any efforts in that regard. Now, the internal response to the chief minister’s claim – as assessed by the Hindustan Times – shows that the wildlife wing of the state government was against non-declaration of the buffer zone around the Panna reserve, which had lost all its tigers in 2009. The state government has already declared buffers around four other tiger reserves in the state – Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Satpura. However, Panna was kept in abeyance due to alleged resistance from local residents, which the wildlife department has described as a “misconception”. “It will be kept in mind that no existing mine is closed due to declaration of the buffer zone,” said then chief conservator of forests HS Pabla in an internal note. He also claimed that if the buffer zone was not declared, the state government may face problems in getting funds amounting to Rs 535 crore from the Centre for relocating four villages in the core area of the tiger reserve. Relocation of these villages is essential for providing an “inviolate area” to relocated tigers, and declaration of the buffer zone will provide 12 tigers in the reserve with enough space to spread out. “Otherwise, the tigers will die in infighting for space,” a local forest official said. Despite a strong appeal by the wildlife department, the state government had failed to declare the buffer zone around the reserve, resulting in large-scale illegal mining of stone and sand from Ken  river, a key source of water in the forested area. Even the National Tiger Conservation Authority had repeatedly asked the state government to declare the buffer zone. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/MP-govt-wildlife-dept-at-loggerheads-over-buffer-zone-for-tiger-reserve/Article1-825974.aspx

Tiger reserves out of bounds to researchers

Decision made to curb human disturbance in tiger habitats, says Forest Department In a decision that is bound to antagonise conservation scientists, the State Forest Department has clamped down on field research in tiger reserves and will neither renew nor grant fresh permits to enter these forests. The State's five tiger reserves — Bandipur, Nagarahole, Anshi-Dandeli, Bhadra and B.R. Hills — will no longer be accessible for field research, according to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.K. Singh. The recent fire in Nagarahole has only reaffirmed the need for ‘inviolate zones' in tiger habitats to prevent human ‘disturbance', he added. In fact, over the last two years, the department had denied permission to almost every one of the 30-odd applicants for research in these forests. Research permits have been renewed for only two scientists: tiger expert Ullas Karanth and elephant researcher T.N.C. Vidya of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Mr. Singh said. APPLICATIONS REJECTED Decision made to curb human disturbance in tiger habitats, says Forest Department In a decision that is bound to antagonise conservation scientists, the State Forest Department has clamped down on field research in tiger reserves and will neither renew nor grant fresh permits to enter these forests. The State's five tiger reserves — Bandipur, Nagarahole, Anshi-Dandeli, Bhadra and B.R. Hills — will no longer be accessible for field research, according to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.K. Singh. The recent fire in Nagarahole has only reaffirmed the need for ‘inviolate zones' in tiger habitats to prevent human ‘disturbance', he added. In fact, over the last two years, the department had denied permission to almost every one of the 30-odd applicants for research in these forests. Research permits have been renewed for only two scientists: tiger expert Ullas Karanth and elephant researcher T.N.C. Vidya of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Mr. Singh said. Applications of several researchers, including scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), who had sought permission to study subjects ranging from Kabini hydrology and elephant behaviour to Shola ecology in these forests, were rejected. Citing the Wildlife Protection Act (WLPA) 1972, Mr. Singh said the 2006 amendment stipulated the creation of ‘inviolate' zones in tiger reserves to curb human presence. Asked why the two researchers were privileged over the others, he said that while Prof. Karanth was doing tiger-specific research, Dr. Vidya was given a recommendation by the Union Government. Scientists outraged Scientists and conservation biologists, who had noticed the trend, were outraged by a decision they say was based on whimsy rather than scientific justification. R. Sukumar, professor and chairman at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc., said his students were routinely denied entry into Nagarahole and Bandipur. “This decision means that the Forest Department will now manage forests without scientific information.” Wildlife cannot be looked at in isolation, he added. “What about fire ecology, vegetation ecology or invasive plants?” The WLPA did not mandate such a ban, said Nitin Rai, fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. “On the contrary, it supports research that improves habitat quality,” he said, describing the ban on research in tiger reserves as retrogressive and arbitrary. The only State Indeed, no other State denies permission to researchers in tiger reserves, M.D. Madhusudan, senior scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation, pointed out. “It is unlikely that research is the most serious threat that tigers are facing,” he said. http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article2985232.ece

Another tiger found dead in Bandhavgarh reserve

Bagish K Jha, TNN Mar 14, 2012, 06.55AM INDORE: A one-year-old tiger was found dead at the Magadi Gate of Bandhavgarh National Park and Tiger Reserve on Tuesday morning. The young feline is prima facie believed to be the victim of turf war, but poaching has yet to be officially ruled out . "A tiger was found dead on main road near Magadi Gate which is also known as Gate no. 2 of Bandhavgarh National Park and Tiger Reserve Forest. It appears to have been killed in a territorial fight with another," said former minister and member of Wildlife Board Pushparaj Singh, adding that seven to eight tigers have been reportedly killed there in the last one year alone. The range officer of Bandhavgarh confirmed the tiger's death declined comment, saying senior officers were investigating the death. The park's field director C K Patil has left for the spot to take stock. Sources said that the carcass was spotted by some foreign tourists and their guide in the morning, who informed forest officials. The officials took away the body and are trying to ascertain the exact cause of death. Singh said a tigress and her two cubs were known to reside in that area, and it was possible that the dead one was killed by his stronger elder sibling. "Turf wars are not uncommon, but the spiraling number of deaths like these is alarming. It indicates there is not enough land available for the tigers to survive," he said, adding that the tiger reserve is spread over 1168 square kilometre but has only 105 square kilometre of core tiger habitat. A recent forest survey had also underlined that while Bandhavgarh has around 48 tigers, there is not enough land extent for them which often lead to fatal turf battles.Over the last one-and-half year many tigers have perished that way. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-14/indore/31164972_1_tiger-reserve-forest-c-k-patil-bandhavgarh-reserve

Politicos wary of Project Tiger

N D Shiva Kumar, TNN | Mar 15, 2012, 12.54PM CHIKMAGALUR: Leaders of all the three political parties here are wary about the controversy over the Project Tiger. Addressing a rally here, chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda said the government was planning to withdraw the areas from the Project Tiger. Terming the assurance bogus, former CM and JD(S) state chief, H D Kumaraswamy, has declared that he would fight till the end if the government implemented the project. "I am ready even to sacrifice my life to protect your interests,'' he declared at an election rally. KPCC president G Parameshwara too promptly opposed the project. But the officials sing a different tune. They say they are waiting for the polls to get over so that they can start initiating the process of expansion. The experts maintain that forests come under the concurrent list and the state has no powers to take unilateral decisions. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Politicos-wary-of-Project-Tiger/articleshow/12274482.cms