Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserve proposal being recast

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Oct 22, 2012, 02.33AM IST NAGPUR: State principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) SWH Naqvi has ordered revision of the proposal for Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserve (NNTR). It will be sent to the state government soon. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had in a notification on October 15, and in a submission to the Supreme Court, has advised Maharashtra government to submit a new tiger reserve proposal. Principal secretary for forests Praveen Pardeshi said Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve proposal is under consideration but has not yet been submitted to Government of India. "We would like to make detailed core and buffer zone delineation before we submit it, to avoid any complications," Pardeshi told on Sunday. However, rumours are agog that officials are delaying the proposal to favour Adani Power Maharashtra Limited (APML), whose 3,300MW power plant is coming up just 8km away from the Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary boundary and lies in the eco-sensitive zone. Considering this, when Aditya Agrawal of Tumsar tried to find out about the tiger reserve proposal under the RTI Act, he was not given any information, saying the procedure is incomplete. Talking to TOI, Naqvi scoffed at the rumours, saying the tiger reserve proposal has nothing to do with Adani power project. "The proposal is being recast by including newly notified sanctuaries New Nagzira and Navegaon adjoining existing Nagzira sanctuary and Navegaon National Park. The earlier proposal sent to the state in September 2010 did not include newly notified sanctuaries," Naqvi said. "We want to ensure that all old and new notified areas have been included in the new reserve. It should be a perfect proposal so there are no hassles later," Naqvi made it clear. The New Nagzira and New Navegaon wildlife sanctuaries were notified nine months ago in February 2012. The Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve is expected to be over 560 sq km. It will combine existing Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary (152 sq km), Navegaon National Park (133 sq km), New Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary (151.33 sq km) and Navegaon Wildlife Sanctuary (122.75 sq km). The Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserve was announced on September 8, 2009, by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh. From time to time he has asked the chief minister to declare Navegaon-Nagzira a reserve. The MoEF has agreed in principle to declare the area a reserve. On August 14, in a written reply, environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan had announced in the Rajya Sabha creation of five new tiger reserves; Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Ratapani ( Madhya Pradesh), Sunabeda (Odisha), Mukundara Hills (Rajasthan) and Satyamangalam ( Tamil Nadu). She had also said Maharashtra has been asked to submit Navegaon-Nagzira reserve proposal. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Navegaon-Nagzira-tiger-reserve-proposal-being-recast/articleshow/16907887.cms

Corbett eye in the sky nets illegal miners red-handed

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, October 22, 2012 An eye in sky keeping a watch on tigers around the clock in Corbett National Park and sending SMS alert to forest officials in case of danger is set for replication across the cuntry. The system, country's first and based on online monitoring system for marine monitoring in United States, helped the forest officials to catch illegal sand and stone miners at the boundary of the national park recently. "The system alerted the forest officials who caught all offenders from the spot," said National Tiger Conservation Authority joint director SP Yadav. The totally unmanned solar energy based systems runs on cameras installed on tall towers and detects any moving object having body weight of 20 kg or more. Some of the many cameras also man the towers and the photo-voltaic solar panels. The system automatically emails pictures to a 24 into 7 monitoring centre with an SMS alert to all forest officials. "It just needs to see something to send an alert," Yadav said. The added advantage of the system is that authorized officials can monitor the wildlife area from anywhere in the world through internet. The first system installed on the Corbett’s border with Uttar Pradesh covering 500 sq kms has cost the NTCA Rs 3 crore. The Uttarakhand forest department pays for maintenance of the system and to run the monitoring centre. Corbett has around 200 tigers with highest density of the big cat in 100 square kilometers in the world. Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of NTCA said Assam has already shown willingness to have the system probably for Kaziranga National Park, which has been under spotlight of the poachers, and he hoped that other tiger reserves will follow suit soon. The government plans to install this online e-system in all high wildlife poaching areas in tiger reserves in India in the 12th five year plan (2012-17) with the Planning Commission increasing the budget for tigers around nine times. This is the second major information technology based tool used by NTCA to protect the tigers. The authority had introduced online monitoring in Sariska in Rajasthan through global positioning system based radio collaring of tigers. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Corbett-eye-in-the-sky-nets-illegal-miners-red-handed/Article1-948288.aspx

3 more tigers for Sariska but safety still a big concern

MONDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2012 00:58 PNS | NEW DELHI After the success of relocated tigress delivering two cubs, the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan is also planning translocation of three more tigers by the end of the year, but conservationists and wildlife experts are apprehensive about the safety of the big cats there. The relocation of three tigers will take their numbers of big cats to 10 in the reserve. However, experts feel that the safety situation is more or less same as it was in 2005 when the reserve lost all its tigers due to poaching. The experts pointed out, there are still 28 villages existing in the critical habitat area of the reserve. Further, large number of pilgrims and vehicles regularly enter through the core area of the reserve to reach the ancient Hanuman temple at Pandupole, every Tuesday and Saturday when there is free entry. Shortly after Sariska declared to have lost all its tigers, in February 2005 the Government had constituted the State Empowered Committee on forests and wildlife management (SEC). The committee had come out with a number of suggestions to prevent the recurrence of similar incident in future. The report clearly stated, “In Sariska, all the reasons responsible for the disappearance of tigers in toto zero in on one single factor which is that large number of villages exist inside the reserve. No successful rehabilitation of these villages has ever taken place. Therefore, poachers could take shelter here and kill tigers.” Apart from concerns on the biotic pressure from human, they also pointed to the accompanying problem of grazing of cattle living in the villages situated within the reserve and on the periphery. They had recommended reduction of these existing disturbances and a time-bound relocation of villages. “Most of these recommendations are yet to be followed,” pointed out Dharmendra Khandal, conservation biologist from Tiger Watch. Let alone the issue of relocation, the Forest department has done little to reduce the influx of pilgrims to the ancient Hanuman temple at Pandupole every week. Further, nearly 8 kms of a State Highway also passes through the core area of the reserve, he pointed out. Though the Forest department has tried to reduce the number of vehicles passing through the reserve but lot more needs to be done, he felt. Field Director Sariska, RS Shekhawat admitted that relocation was the single biggest challenge. “This is a voluntary process and we have formed a relocation cell deputing full time officer to look into the issue,” he pointed out. Recently, we have been able to vacate the Umri village and have relocated nearly 90 per cent of Dabli and Rautkela villages. Two more villages are to be expected to be evacuated within the next two months, he pointed out, for which funds worth `50 crore from National Tiger Conservation Authority. Efforts are also on to introduce shuttle buses to regulate the inflow of pilgrims and check the entry of vehicles to the Pandupole temple , for which again funds from the Centre are awaited, informed the Field Director. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/103417-3-more-tigers-for-sariska-but-safety-still-a-big-concern.html

Safaris in Bandipur, Nagarahole national parks stopped

TNN | Oct 20, 2012, 03.55AM IST MYSORE: A day after the safari at Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks began, it has been suspended temporarily not because of Supreme Court direction but due to alleged interference. This is a setback to the tourism industry which has already took a hit with the recent Cauvery protests. The tiger sanctuaries were closed for over two-and-half months until Thursday when the Supreme Court ordered its reopening. A source from the forest department confirmed that they had received an oral communication from their higher authorities against taking any bookings for Friday. "However, we didn't get any explanation for stopping the safari a day after it began," the source said. Principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) Dipak Sarmah confirmed to TOI that the safari had been stopped pending government approval. Even he refused to clarify the reason for the suspension. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Safaris-in-Bandipur-Nagarahole-national-parks-stopped/articleshow/16885600.cms

Corbett's Bijrani and Jhirna zones to reopen today

D S Kunwar, TNN | Oct 20, 2012, 03.22AM IST DEHRADUN: Two days after the Supreme Court allowed for the resumption of tourism activities in tiger reserves, Corbett National Park (CNP) administration on Friday decided to re-open its famous Bijrani and Jhirna Wildlife Zone for tourists beginning Saturday. CNP Director Ranjan Mishra told TOI that the decision was taken on a SC directive for resumption of tourism activities in tiger reserves across the country. These two wildlife Zones along with other Zones like Dhikala which were closed for tourists between June 30 and July 1 and were scheduled to reopen for tourists on October 15. Senior Corbett authorities said they could reopen Bijrani and Jhirna on October 15 as they were in process to complete certain formalities with this regards. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Corbetts-Bijrani-and-Jhirna-zones-to-reopen-today/articleshow/16885334.cms

4-member gang held; tiger pelt, claws seized

Kollegal, Oct 20, 2012 dhns: The CID forest squad nabbed a gang accused of smuggling tiger pelt, in Kollegal on Thursday. The arrested are Gowdalli Ramesh, Kollegal Rajashekar, Abbas and Chandru. Somanna of Amekaradoddi in Yalandur taluk, said to be the prime accused, is absconding. Tipped-off that a gang had poisoned a tiger to death six months ago and were trying to to sell its pelt for Rs 40 lakh, the squad led by sub-inspector Mahesh nabbed the gang on Mysore Road. The pelt and claws were seized. It is learnt that Somanna had stored the pelt at his house after processing it. S P Ashok A Anwekar of Madikeri CID forest squad also assisted the squad. Sub-inspector Mahesh and staff, Prakash, Ningaraju, Srikanta, Ravi, Ningarajappa, Jayashankar, Harish and Raghavendra were part of the operation. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/286634/4-member-gang-held-tiger.html

Hazaribagh’s tiger trap lies forgotten

FRIDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2012 17:26 RR SRIVASTAVA | HAZARIBAGH HITS: 61 In Hazaribagh, one always has two arguments about the nomenclature. Some say there were a thousand gardens here in the old days, while others say that the forests were the habitat of tigers. There is no evidence left of there ever having been gardens but one unique tiger trap in the forests of Hazaribagh sanctuary is evidence of the thousand tigers present here in the days of yore. The tiger trap was constructed by the king of Ramgarh before Independence. It is said to be India’s biggest tiger trap but is in a sorry state due to negligence of the forest department. The Hazaribagh sanctuary is situated on the Ranchi-Patna National Highway (NH) 33, about 18 km from district headquarters. Every year, many tourists visit this sanctuary but enough information on it has not been spread and they often miss it. Villagers of nearby areas have many stories about this trap and the king. They say that Raja Ramgarh was fond of giving unique gifts. With the help of this trap he caught many Royal Bengal tigers and gifted to other kings and Government officers. They also claim that before and after Independence, many high-profile personalities used to come here to fulfill their hunting passion. The tigers trap is about 40 feet in diametre and depth. In the middle a four feet diametre pole like structure is built. On this pole a goat was kept to attract the tiger. Its base is about 30 feet that is why it looks like a glass. It has 60 feet long inner way to reach inside the trap. Villagers say that the upper portion of the trap was first covered by leaves and then the goat was placed. Before 1980 Hazaribagh sanctuary was known as Hazaribagh National Park. Tourists from all over India use to come here to see the wild life and tree top watch houses. It was a famous shooting spot of Tollywood. With time the forests of Hazaribagh lost many precious flora and fauna, though Hazaribagh sanctuary is a place of attraction yet. If the forest and tourism department will include this tiger trap in the list of spots of attraction, it is sure that more people will visit to see India’s largest and biggest tiger trap. http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/ranchi/102823-hazaribaghs-tiger-trap-lies-forgotten.html

Leg injury triggers arthritis in Sunderbans tiger

KOLKATA: The Sunderbans tiger, undergoing treatment at the Alipore Zoo, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis on Thursday. Three zoo doctors — D N Banerjee, Arnab Majhi and Jayanta Roy Burman - in the presence of experts from the animal husbandry department, performed an X-ray on its hind legs on Thursday afternoon. "Initially, it has been detected with infected osteoarthritis. We will consult other experts before deciding on a complete course of treatment. The tiger had to be tranquillized before performing the X-ray and it has regained consciousness now," said zoo director K L Ghosh. Eminent vet and a member of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Schedule I animal handling committee, Dr Swapan Ghosh, was also present when the X-ray was done. According to zoo director Ghosh, the prolonged internal injury on the tiger's left hind leg might have led to this arthritis. "This injury also restricted the tiger's movement, leading to a starvation in it," he added. Meanwhile, state wildlife advisory board member Joydip Kundu said that this injury may be an outcome of a man-animal conflict. "The forest department should take a serious note of it and step up the future conservation efforts in the Sunderbans," he added. Ghosh said that since it was a Thursday, the big cat was not offered any food. "It's much better now and we will shift to its normal diet from Friday again. We are also planning to release the tiger in an open enclosure. We will observe it and decide whether it's fit to be released back to the wild," Ghosh added. It may be noted that the zoo doesn't offer food to any of the carnivores on Thursdays. The zoo officials had earlier said that a weak posterior of the big cat is a cause for concern. The tiger, aged about seven years, was earlier diagnosed with prolonged starvation. "The blood and liver function tests had shown indication of starvation. There was discrepancy in the blood, urea and nitrogen ration (BUN) too. This showed that the kidney was not doing the filtering properly," zoo vet Dr D N Banerjee had earlier said. When contacted, Wildlife Institute of India's (WII) senior scientist YV Jhala said that complications like arthritis can be found in aged tigers. "A tiger, aged seven years, is not too young. However, it can't be called an old tiger either. So, the age is a key factor here," he added. Chief wildlife warden S B Mondal said it's up to the zoo officials to decide when or whether it can be released back to the wild. Vet's Take Renowned veterinary in the city, Dr Goutam Mukherjee, said that osteo arthritis is common in aged animals. A fluid called synovial fluid flows between the long bones, which prevents the friction between two bones. When an animal gets older, the fluid flow comes down resulting in frequent friction between the joint bones. This leads to osteo arthritis in an old animal. In this case, the arthritis was triggered by a prolonged injury. An improper healing of the injury might have resulted in constant damage of bones and muscle. This triggered infection and pain in the animal leading to arthritis http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/leg-injury-triggers-arthritis-in-sunderbans-tiger/articleshow/16871241.cms

States asked to favour low-impact ecotourism in tiger reserves

P. OPPILI B. ARAVIND KUMAR A tiger sighted along the Masinagudy-Theppakadu stretch of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. File photo National Tiger Conservation Authority wants State-level strategy to be notified within a year The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked the State governments to develop State-level legislation to favour a community driven, low-impact ecotourism in place of wildlife tourism to maintain the integrity and connectivity of Tiger reserves. In its ‘Guidelines for tourism in and around tiger reserves,’ the NTCA has categorically told the States that no new tourist infrastructure should be set up within the core/critical tiger habitat of the reserves in compliance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Supreme Court directives. It insists on the formation of a Local Advisory Committee (LAC) for each tiger reserve to review the tourism strategy, ensure site-specific norms on constructions, advise local and State governments and regularly monitor all tourist facilities as well as operators to ensure wildlife was not disturbed while taking visitors into the reserves. It has listed those who should be members of the LAC. The NTCA has also recommended the phasing out of permanent tourist facilities located inside core/critical tiger habitats which were being used for wildlife tourism within a time frame to be decided by the LAC. Strict plans ensuring low impact adherence by these facilities have to be developed and approved by the LAC to be strictly implemented. There should be no privately run facilities such as catering inside the core/critical tiger habitat where night stay is permitted and any existing facility has to be run by the Tiger Conservation Foundations, the NTCA has said. All the States have been asked to notify the State-level ecotourism strategy within a year from the date of notification of the guidelines by the NTCA/Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Tamil Nadu received the NTCA guidelines early this week — a copy of which is with The Hindu. The guidelines say adequate provisions must be made to ensure that ecotourism was not being relegated to purely high-end tourism that excluded local communities. Conservation fee The State governments should develop a system to ensure that the gate collections from the tiger reserves were utilised by the management for specific conservation purposes and not to go as revenue to the State exchequer. Such a step would ensure that resources generated from tourism were earmarked for conservation, local livelihood development, tackling man-animal conflict and welfare measures for field staff of the reserve. Besides, the State governments should charge a conservation fee from the tourism industry for eco-development and local community uplift. The Chief Wildlife Warden has to ensure that each tiger reserve prepares a tourism plan as part of the tiger conservation plan vis-à-vis the NTCA’s technical guidelines. The plan should include identification of corridor connectivity and important wildlife habitats and mechanisms to secure them. The guideline has also recommended the identification and monitoring of ecologically sensitive areas surrounding the tiger reserves to ensure the ecological integrity or corridor/buffer areas which will prevent encroachment. http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/states-asked-to-favour-lowimpact-ecotourism-in-tiger-reserves/article4010246.ece

Let's look at what really lies beneath

Prerna Bindra October 18, 2012 India's ailing economy has found a new scapegoat - environment and forests. For most things that go wrong these days, from power shortage to slow growth, the blame is tossed at the door of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), the paradigm being that forests, wildlife and green laws are hurdles to development. So much so, that a Group of Ministers established to 'rationalise' coal mining in forests recommended scrapping 'no-go' areas and public hearings. The latest salvo is the National Investment Board (NIB), a proposal to boost 'investor sentiment'. The NIB is envisaged to ensure that mega projects sail through, bypassing statutory procedures, laws and without bothering about their environmental and social impacts. Why is India bending over backwards to accommodate large investors and sidestep democratic tenets, when nowhere in the world are key considerations like public health, environment and biodiversity ignored in establishing projects? More importantly, is there any basis to the hysteria that the 'new Licence Raj' is holding up growth? Is the MoEF 'activist'? Much of this thinking started during the regime of Jairam Ramesh, perceived to be a 'green' minister. Here's reality: during Ramesh's tenure, (June 2009-11), over 95% of projects sailed through. A recent release by the MoEF shows that 1,126 proposals involving diversion of 15, 639 hectares of forest land were cleared in the year following July 2011. Another contentious issue was the 'go-no-go' for mining in forest areas, a concept introduced at the insistence of the coal ministry. Pressure from various quarters ended in the MoEF conceding over 80% 'no-go' forests to mining, including the ecologically fragile Hasdeo-Anand in Chhattisgarh and Chiriya in Saranda - the world's largest, finest Sal forest that still sees the occasional tiger. Another myth is that coal shortage - due to forest concerns - has brought the economy to its knees. The fact is that in all key sectors viz power, coal, steel, cement clearances given exceed targets. For example, and I quote here from a letter written by the minster for environment and forests Jayanthi Natarajan to the prime minister, "In the 11th plan period till August 2011, the MoEF has granted environmental clearances to 181 coal mines with a combined capacity of 583 million tonnes per annum, and forest clearances to 113 mines giving away 26,000 hectares of forest land." These clearances are expected to double our coal capacity. Similarly, the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans target 1,50,000 MW of additional thermal power capacity to be created and set up by 2017. Between 2006-August 2011, clearances were granted for 2,10,000 MW of thermal power capacity. Do your math. That's 60,000 MW or 40% in excess of what has been proposed till 2017. Our capacity in energy and coal lies under or unutilised, even as project proponents continue to seek clearances for new ventures, as this gives them access to valuable resources: land, minerals and water. How else would you explain that while there is a clamour for investment in new projects, the shortfall for investment in electricity transmission (India loses nearly 40% electricity to inefficient transmission) is a staggering Rs. 4,00,000 crore? It isn't that infrastructure and industry are being thwarted; on the contrary, forest and environmental concerns are being systematically diluted. We need to strengthen, not weaken green regulations. Not just to save 'sundry animals', as a bureaucrat recently suggested, but for our ecological, and economic security. Mining belts are hell-holes, with people living there in subhuman conditions. And forests are not a sum of the minerals that lie underneath - a treasury open to loot. They nourish and nurture our rivers and soils, influence the monsoons, sequester carbon and are repositories of biodiversity. India has the challenging task of achieving sustained growth without irretrievably damaging natural resources on which depends our existence - water, clean air, fertile soil. It's a task that concerns us all, and demands our collective support. Prerna Bindra is member, National Board of Wildlife The views expressed by the author are personal http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Let-s-look-at-what-really-lies-beneath/Article1-946809.aspx

Kerala Tiger reserves to reopen for tourism next week

STAFF REPORTER Officials of the four Tiger Reserves – Parambikulam in Kerala and Anamalai, Muthumalai and Kalakkadu in Tamil Nadu have decided to reopen them for tourism next week after implementing the new guidelines issued by the Supreme Court on using 20 per cent of the area for eco-tourism. In a meeting held at Parambikulam on Thursday, the officials from the two States - the Kerala side led by Wildlife Warden of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, K. Vijayanandan, and Tamil Nadu side by Chief Conservator of Forest Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Rajeev Sreevastava met. These Tiger Reserves were closed for tourists for the last three months after the Supreme Court had banned tourism in the core areas of the Tiger Reserve in July. In the officials meeting it was decided to form an Advisory Committee for every Tiger Reserve as per the new guidelines issued by the Supreme Court. Mr. Vijayanandan said that the Tamil Nadu officials who had inspected the arrangements made for tourists in Parambikulam wanted to replicate them in their three Tiger Reserves especially the most successful Eco-Development Society and Eco-Shops of Parambikulam that helped tribal empowerment and protection of the Reserve. He said that the closing down of tourism in Parambikulam had affected nearly 300 tribal families living in Parambikulam Tiger Reserve area in the District. But during this period the Forest Department used them for various protection activities in Parambikulam. He added that though Parambikulam Tiger Reserve was conducting tourism only in the buffer zone it had to be closed down after the Supreme Court order banning tourism in core area because there is no direct road access from Kerala side to Parambikulam. The State has to use the road passing through the core areas of Annamalai Tiger Reserve to reach Parambikulam. This had created the problem of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve tourism activities. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has a tribal population of 1200 in 276 families spread over six colonies. Thus the latest Supreme Court order approving the tourism plan in Tiger Reserves have come as a big relief to the tribal population and the tourists from different parts of the country and outside coming to the Tiger Reserve, Mr. Vijayanandan said. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/kerala-tigers-reserves-to-reopen-for-tourism-next-week/article4009665.ece

Ban on tourism in tiger reserves’ core areas goes

J. VENKATESAN The Hindu A file picture of ST 6, a male tiger at Sariska Tiger reserve in Rajasthan. The photo has been taken by Rajasthan Minister for Environment and Forests Bina Kak. PTI A file picture of B2, one of the most photographed tiger in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in MP. Strictly adhere to National Tourism Conservation Authority guidelines, says court The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted the ban on tourist activities in core areas of tiger reserve forests. This follows Additional Solicitor-General Indira Jaising’s submission that on October 15 the government notified the revised guidelines for the 41 tiger reserves to be followed by States. A Bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar said: “This court passed an order on July 24 that till final guidelines are issued, core areas won’t be used for tourism. Now that the National Tourism Conservation Authority [NTCA] has notified the comprehensive guidelines under the Wildlife Act for tourism in and around tiger reserves, we modify the interim order and direct that henceforth tourism activities will be strictly in accordance with the guidelines.” The court said, “All concerned authorities will ensure that the guidelines shall be strictly in accordance with notification and requirements of guidelines are complied with before commencing tourism.” The Bench directed the States to prepare a tiger conservation plan within six months from today (Tuesday) and submit it to the NTCA. Fresh guidelines After the ban, several States and other stake holders urged the Centre to revisit the guidelines and sought the lifting of the ban. Accordingly, the Centre filed an application seeking modification of the order. Subsequently, the court asked the Centre to hold consultations with the States and others and come out with fresh guidelines. Accordingly, the NTCA formulated fresh guidelines. The Comprehensive Guidelines on Strategy, Tiger Conservation and Tourism in and around Tiger Reserves envisaged that 20 per cent of the core reserve area should be permitted for tourism. Shifting the focus from wildlife tourism to eco-tourism, the NTCA had recommended that a maximum of 20 per cent of the core/critical tiger habitat usage (not exceeding the present usage) for regulated, low-impact tourist visitation might be permitted by the court. It said, “In case the current usage exceeds 20 per cent, the Local Area Committee may decide on a time frame for bringing down the usage to 20 per cent. Such area may be demarcated as tourism zone and there should be strict adherence to site-specific carrying capacity.” Other suggestions are: “The States should enact law to regulate tiger tourism — tourist facilities; tour operators should not cause disturbance to animals; tourism infrastructure must be environment-friendly like usage of solar energy, waste recycling and rainwater harvesting etc; permanent tourist facilities located inside the core areas should be phased out in a time frame and 10 per cent of the revenue generated from pilgrim centres located in tiger reserves must be used for development of local communities.” http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ban-on-tourism-in-tiger-reserves-core-areas-goes/article4002445.ece

Despite ban, party organised at Corbett resort

Anupam Trivedi, Hindustan Times Dehradun, October 16, 2012 In a typical case of law enforcers joining hands with the law breakers, officials entrusted with the task to ensure blanket ban on noise pollution, within a 500-metre radius of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), allegedly partied at a resort near the reserve. Nainital district magistrate has sought a report from sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Ramanagar, SS Jangpangi, who also heads the task force meant to ensure the ban. The SDM and a local police officer too were present at the said function, organised by a medical body at a resort last Saturday. The Uttarakhand high court had earlier this year issued directives that noise should not cross 50 decibels in the day time and 40 decibels after 10pm near the reserve. Several resorts have mushroomed in Dhikala, Marchula and other villages close to the tiger reserve. Over the years, activists alleged that high decibel of music played at resort parties was affecting the habitat of big cats and other animals. After the HC directive, Nainital district administration constituted a task force that includes the SDM and CTR officials. Reacting to the allegation the SDM said, "Is there any sin if I was present at the function? I was there to attend a seminar and after that I had left,". Meanwhile, Nainital district magistrate (DM) Nidhimani Tripathi has asked the officer to clarify and submit a report on the incident. "I have asked him to submit a complete report and a notice has also been served to the people, who organised the party at resort," said the DM. http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Uttarakhand/Despite-ban-party-organised-at-Corbett-resort/Article1-945737.aspx

Centre for rehabilitating tribals living near tiger reserves

PTI BL A fiel picture of a tiger at the Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserve. Photo: Paul Noronha. After laying down rules for regulating tourism in critical tiger habitats, the Centre has now suggested a rehabilitation programme for tribals living around them to save the endangered animal from traditional hunting. “There is an urgent need to launch a rehabilitation and development programme for denotified tribes and tribes involved in traditional hunting, living around tiger reserves and tiger corridors,” say the fresh guidelines on tiger conservation notified by the Centre. According to the Environment Ministry, the denotified tribes and communities like Behelias, Ambalgars, Badaks, Mongias, Bavariyas, Monglias, Pardhi, Boyas, Kaikads, Karwal Nat, Nirshikaris, Picharis, Valayaras, Yenadis, Chakma, Mizo, Bru, Solung and Nyishi are involved in traditional hunting of wild animals. “While this list is not exhaustive, around 5,000 such families are required to be taken up under a welfare programme (forming part of National Tiger Conservation Authority initiatives) during the (12th) Plan period,” it says. The Guideline underlines that the rehabilitation and welfare package should be evolved in a site specific, consultative manner with livelihood options. The livelihood options include wages for such people towards their deployment in foot patrolling for protecting wildlife, providing agricultural land with irrigation, basic health care, housing and related community welfare inputs and basic education facilities. Last week, the Supreme Court had allowed the Centre to notify within a week its fresh guidelines on tiger conservation and indicated that it may modify its July 24 order staying all tourism activities in the reserved areas across the country. A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar, had however, made it clear that the States, if aggrieved by the guidelines, are free to challenge it before the court. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/centre-for-rehabilitating-tribals-living-near-tiger-reserves/article4002325.ece

Tour operators back to business

WEDNESDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2012 00:00 PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | NEW DELHI After notification of fresh guidelines by MoEF allowing “regulated low impact tourism” in the core and critical tiger habitat, the tiger tour operators could not have asked for a better opening of the present tourism season as the Supresme Court on Tuesday lifted its ban on wildlife tourism. “Following a period of ban and uncertainty, it is now time to get back to work to ensure that revenues that flow through park fees back into conservation and communities start flowing again, that livelihoods are restored, and legitimate businesses are allowed to continue to show India’s very best natural heritage to its citizens,” said Vishal Singh, Director Travel Operators For Tigers (ToFT). The ban according to him would have badly affected hundreds of thousands of local livelihoods, and legitimate businesses, both directly or indirectly. For a decade TOFT had involved local communities in various aspects of nature tourism that include evidence based science, park geography, ground reality, carry capacity and community and management issues, and drawing on the best of practices and experiences from around the world, pointed out the members. Pointing to the latest MoEF guidelines on eco-tourism, Chairman TOFT, Julian Matthews expressed concern saying “97 per cent of India’s remaining forest landscape, which today remains is virtually unprotected and unknown, and is increasingly devoid of wildlife, overgrazed and exploited”. Unfortunately, there is nothing in these guidelines that presents a legal ‘roadmap’ as to how they can be restored, restocked and revitalised. The members of TOFT, however, pointed out that this ban and the heated debates that it had generated since the past few months has helped to usher unity amongst the stakeholders — panchayat heads, Field Directors, park guides and lodge owners — to work together, and in far greater harmony, for the future. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/102214-tour-operators-back-to-business.html

HC asks UP govt to set up special tiger protection force

Press Trust of India / Lucknow October 16, 2012, 21:55 Uttar Pradesh government was today directed to constitute a special tiger protection force within two months to protect the big cats by the Allahabad High Court. The order was passed by the Lucknow bench of Acting Chief Justice Amitava Lala and Anil Kumar on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL ). The petitioner, Satish Kumar Mishra, had sought direction stern action against poachers and forest mafias in connection with death of three tigers within four days at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in June last. The petitioner had also sought direction to constitute a special tiger protection force for the security of the big cats. On June 1 the court sought information from the Centre and the state government as well as director of Tiger Protection Authority as to why constitution of the force should not be considered. Additional Advocate General Bulbul Godiyal, who appeared before the bench on behalf of the state government, later said the the court was informed that a meeting was held on September 17 in which further course of action was decided in this regard. http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/hc-asksgovt-to-setspecial-tiger-protection-force/69200/

NTCA proposes six new tiger reserves, five others given in principle approval

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times India’s rising tiger population may get a further boost as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has suggested creation of six new tiger reserves. This is in addition to five wildlife areas for which in principle approval has been accorded but final notification is still awaited. India as of now has 41 notified tiger reserves. “For consolidating new tiger reserves 5 have been given in-principle approval, and for another 6, the States have been advised to send proposals,” said the new NTCA guidelines on eco-tourism notified on Monday and submitted to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The proposed tiger reserves range from across country from Uttar Pradesh to Goa to Tamil Nadu. “The aim is to create new tiger habitats to create strong breeding populations to foster growth of the magnificent animal. With tigers, we also want to strengthen other wildlife species that may not find much place in other policy initiatives,” said a senior NTCA official. Among the six tiger reserves proposed is Bor Wildlife Sanctuary of just 63 sq km protected areas and would be probably smallest tiger reserve in India if Maharashtra government agrees to the proposal. In 2010, wildlife experts have spotted some tigers in the wildlife area through camera traps. “If the area is notified as tiger reserve, the Central government will provide money to increase the core area to support a sustainable breeding population,” an official said. Another wild zone under consideration is Nagriza wildlife sanctuary which as per the last count had 34 species of mammals, including tigers 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four species of amphibians. Neighbouring Goa could have its first tiger reserve in Mhadei Sanctuary where the tigers have been under threat due to illegal mining around the habitat. Most of the tigers in the sanctuary are believed to have moved from Karnataka where the tiger population has exponentially grown. The state government did not agree to notifying the sanctuary as a tiger reserve allegedly due to pressure from the strong mining lobby. The NTCA has also asked Chhattisgarh government to submit a proposal to declare Guru Ghasidas National Park, named after state’s satnami reformist, as a tiger reserve. The park is the result of the carving of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh in November 2000 and it was formerly called Sanjay National Park (in Madhya Pradesh). Apart from tigers, the forest is known for Sal trees and extensive patches of bamboo. Another new tiger reserve proposed is on Indo-Gangetic plan bordering Nepal in Suhelwa eastern Uttar Pradesh. The park is known more for vultures and turtles than tigers. But, the officials believe that it could be good tiger habitat like another one in the state Dudhwa. The sixth one proposed in by intergrating Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel area, Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuaries and Varushanadu Valley in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu). The five reserves for in principle approved has been given are Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Ratapani (Madhya Pradesh), Sunabeda (Odisha), Mukundara Hills (including Darrah, Jawahar Sagar and Chambal Wildlife Sanctuaries) (Rajasthan) and Satyamangalam (Tamil Nadu). http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Hyderabad/NTCA-proposes-six-new-tiger-reserves-five-others-given-in-principle-approval/Article1-945370.aspx

Poaching fears over tiger relocation at Sariska

TNN | Oct 16, 2012, 03.02AM IST JAIPUR: The ambitious but controversial tiger relocation programme at Sariska Tiger Reserve is set to enter the next phase with the introduction of two female and a male tiger in the park before the end of winter. This will take the tiger count to 10 at Sariska. The forest department is gung ho about the plan, more so after the sighting of the first cubs recently. Everybody, though, doesn't share forest department's enthusiasm regarding the project. The debate on if Sariska is safe for tigers is on with conservationists raising concern over poaching still being a big threat. Is Sariska safe for tigers? Arguments of conservationists find credence in the report of the state empowered committee on forests and wildlife management (SEC), constituted in February 2005, that stated that all the tigers in the reserve were poached. The results of a similar experiment at the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh were an eye-opener. Following a tiger relocation programme in 2009, the reserve today boasts of 12 cubs and five adults. "Even if numbers don't form a scale for comparison, it definitely indicates that there is something wrong with the habitat. Sariska with the vast number of villagers living inside the reserve has a much higher disturbance level," says conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch. "The hype and the support that the Sariska tiger relocation programme received was not channeled. The department should have taken more interest in preparing the habitat than just concentrating on relocating tigers," he says. Khandal cites the incident of leopard poaching, a couple of months ago in Sariska, to validate his concerns. "Moreover, till sometime back they were building anicuts inside the forest with heavy machinery in a gross violation of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Supreme Court directives. There has been little effort to link the community staying inside the reserve area with the conservation programme. Thousands of pilgrims still travel through the forest to reach Pandupole and the problem of heavy traffic on the highway near the reserve is yet to be addressed," he says. No study has been undertaken to understand the bio-diversity of the forest, he adds. The SEC report too while raising concerns on the biotic pressure from the people and cattle living in the villages situated inside the STR and on the periphery had recommended reduction of these existing disturbances and a time bound relocation of villages. The report said: "In Sariska, all the reasons responsible for the disappearance of tigers in toto zero in on one single factor which is that large number of villages exist inside the reserve. No successful rehabilitation of these villages has ever taken place. Therefore, poachers could take shelter here and kill tigers" Four years after the relocation programme, 25 of the 28 villages continue to exist in the reserve area. The conservationists' fears were found to be true when the first relocated tiger ST1 was poisoned to death by the villagers in November 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Poaching-fears-over-tiger-relocation-at-Sariska/articleshow/16829612.cms

Poaching biggest threat to tiger relocation at Sariska

Anindo Dey, TNN | Oct 15, 2012, 03.49AM IST File photo of a male tiger being airlifted to be relocated to Sariska. JAIPUR: The ambitious but controversial tiger relocation programme at Sariska Tiger Reserve is set to enter the next phase with the introduction of two female and a male tiger in the park before the end of winter. This will take the tiger count to 10 at Sariska. The forest department is gung ho about the plan, more so after the sighting of the first cubs recently. Everybody, though, doesn't share forest department's enthusiasm regarding the project. The debate on if Sariska is safe for tigers is on with conservationists raising concern over poaching still being a big threat. Arguments by conservationists find credence in the report of the state empowered committee on forests and wildlife management (SEC), constituted in February 2005, that stated that all the tigers in the reserve were poached. The results of a similar experiment at the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh were an eye-opener. Following a tiger relocation programme in 2009, the reserve today boasts of 12 cubs and five adults. "Even if numbers don't form a scale for comparison, it definitely indicates that there is something wrong with the habitat. Sariska with the vast number of villagers living inside the reserve has a much higher disturbance level," says conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch. "The hype and the support that the Sariska tiger relocation programme received was not channeled. The department should have taken more interest in preparing the habitat than just concentrating on relocating tigers," he says. Khandal cites the incident of leopard poaching, a couple of months ago in Sariska, to validate his concerns. "Moreover, till sometime back they were building anicuts inside the forest with heavy machinery in a gross violation of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Supreme Court directives. There has been little effort to link the community staying inside the reserve area with the conservation programme. Thousands of pilgrims still travel through the forest to reach Pandupole and the problem of heavy traffic on the highway near the reserve is yet to be addressed," he says. No study has been undertaken to understand the bio-diversity of the forest, he adds. The SEC report too while raising concerns on the biotic pressure from the people and cattle living in the villages situated inside the STR and on the periphery had recommended reduction of these existing disturbances and a time bound relocation of villages. The report said: "In Sariska, all the reasons responsible for the disappearance of tigers in toto zero in on one single factor which is that large number of villages exist inside the reserve. No successful rehabilitation of these villages has ever taken place. Therefore, poachers could take shelter here and kill tigers" 'Next phase of project is better planned' After the death of a tiger and an instance of delayed litter, lessons were finally learnt by the initiators of the relocation programme. It was a wake-up call for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Institute of India and the state forest department to review the situation. The authorities claimed that the Phase-II of the programme will see a marked change in its approach. The attempt to introduce fresh blood from outside the state is the first attempt in this direction. The SEC (state empowered committee) report urged identification of tigers from identical/similar habitats and even mentioned Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh for a possible animal exchange. According to A C Chaubey, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, this time only those tigers will be relocated which have a proven history of motherhood, a clear shift from its earlier stance of relocating only virgin tigresses. The move is aimed at warding off chances of a failed motherhood, something that did the rounds when the tigresses had failed to deliver. "The tigress that we are narrowing down to in the Ranthambhore reserve is presently nursing its cubs. But soon they would become adults and leave. That is when we plan to relocate her," officials said. "The once busy Sariska-Thanagazi road (state highway 13) doesn't witness heavy traffic now. Even the Tehla-Sariska (SH 29A) road has only a couple of state roadways buses plying on it now," he said. Both the moves find a mention in the SEC report that asked for "an urgent need to close these roads, at the earliest." Movement has been restricted on the route leading to Pandupole with forest authorities allowing only vehicles with local registration numbers and that too on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Recently, a group of foreign tourists seeking to enter the park on the pretext of visiting the temple was denied entry. Plans are afoot to rope in the community living in and around the park to ensure better conservation of the tigers. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Poaching-biggest-threat-to-tiger-relocation-at-Sariska/articleshow/16815757.cms

Chenchus help in managing tiger reserve better

SURESH KRISHNAMOORTHY A tiger at Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve Sanctuary Efforts by the State Forest Department has led to an increase in the tiger population in NSTR The induction of Chenchus belonging to the primitive tribe, mostly living in the Nallamala forests deep inside the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve Sanctuary has come as a boon to reserve management, together with the use of camera traps to record animal activity. Better management and concerted and sustained efforts by the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department over a few years have established the population of tiger in the NSTR as ranging between 53 to 66 with mid-value excluding an unspecified number of cubs. The initiatives taken by the department like involving Chenchu youth has gone a long way in conservation, according to A.V. Joseph, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden. A vital component of tiger reserve management and monitoring of their movement to establish their population is the camera traps, about 100 of them spread over 400 square km of habitat, he added. Found on the fringes of the NSTR in small settlement that are called ‘gudems’, the Chenchus live in harmony with nature, displaying their strong sense of ownership for the forests and the wildlife and mostly depend on non-timber forest produce like roots, tubers, and seasonal fruits for their livelihood. They work as base camp protection watchers and as tiger trackers assisting field staff in protection and monitoring duty throughout the year and habitat improvement works. Single largest sanctuary The NSTR is the single largest sanctuary for tigers among the 16 such facilities across the country. The large extent of reserve makes it a huge, ideal landscape for conservation of tigers and other wildlife, apart from being famous for its floral and faunal diversity. Tigers apart, there are predators like wild dogs and panthers, herbivores including the spotted deer, ‘Neelgai’, four-horned antelope, apart from birds, rare insects and the like, all contributing to the diversity. The sheer vastness of the tract poses challenges for the department in protecting the rich biodiversity wealth, primarily because of the limited personnel, not to forget the inhospitable terrain. “The threat of poaching posed by organised gangs from outside Andhra Pradesh, like the ‘Bahelias’ and ‘Bawarias’, apart from the wildlife killing due to man-animal conflict, make it imperative for round-the-clock surveillance,” Mr. Joseph said. http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/chenchus-help-in-managing-tiger-reserve-better/article3997253.ece

Poaching syndicates have reduced state protection for wildlife to a cruel joke

Pangolins are killed all over India for their scales. Seizures added up to 400 kg of scales, equivalent to 350-400 pangolins, in September alone Jay Mazoomdaar Surrounded by cops, Devi Singh Moghiya seemed too soft-spoken and dignified to be a poacher. His melancholic whispers belied the chilling admission that he was one of the six shooters who took out 22 tigers in Ranthambore between 2003 and 2005. They roamed the forest looking for pugmarks. Once a trail was established, they took positions on trees after sundown. One shot in the moonlight was all it would take. How did they get away with killing so many under the nose of 273 forest staff that guarded India's most high-profile reserve? Devi Singh looked puzzled: "You can always dodge them during the daytime recce. And which forest guard comes looking in the night when you fire your gun?" His team earned Rs 40,000-60,000 per tiger. He had no idea how much the traders made in the international market. Orange Laddoos? No, Tortoise Hatchlings Devotees of Lord Vishnu take home hundreds of boxes of Tirupati laddoos through the Chennai airport. In the cargo scanner, the laddoos, like any biological material, appear a shade of warm orange and no security staff gave those little globes a second look till it was discovered how thousands of star tortoise hatchlings tightly packed in sweet boxes were slipping through. Typically, the traders stopped giving the tortoises water days before the transit to avoid the stench of urine. Just before the scanning, the handler would give the boxes a violent shake so that startled hatchlings retreated completely into their shells and appeared suitably round. Some even used a touch of chloroform to discourage movement. Up to 30,000 star tortoises worth crores of rupees are still sourced from southern states for Rs 10-15 each, but the consignments now leave the country for Malaysia and other East Asian destinations through the Kolkata airport. Some also take the Dhaka route. Soaring Demand Last month, when rhinos were poached in Kaziranga, a local source with a past in the trade described how the shooters had hit the rhinos in "all the wrong places" and how the horns were chopped off with "sloppy, unclean slashes". Even parts of ears were torn off to establish the authenticity of horns before the buyers. It seems new operators are at work, a disturbing possibility in the aftermath of the Bodo-Muslim clashes. Brazen, bizarre and desperate in turn, the trade in wildlife is flourishing. The demand overseas is fuelled by an absurd faith in traditional medicine or a craving for exotic fashion, furniture, stationery and pets. The cheap skill of subsistence hunters ensures unhindered supply and there is little check by way of enforcement. With profit to the tune of 20-50 times, top syndicate bosses such as Sansar Chand can afford to flout the toughest laws and engage the country's best legal firms. Why Tusks Shrink The result is worse than decimation. Some species, from the mighty elephant to little otters, have taken such a hit that the trade in their derivatives has actually ebbed. By the late 1980s, the selective killing of male elephants for tusks has had dramatic results. From 20 kg, the average weight of tusks dropped to less than 10 kg and the number of makhna (tuskless by birth) males shot up. Alongside, the standard 1:7 male-female ratio in an elephant population slid to below 1:25 in the forests of Chamrajnagar and Mysore districts in Karnataka and in Tamil Nadu's Sathyamangalam where Veerappan operated for over three decades. "Today, most males are young with just 5-10 kg of tusks, which are not hard enough for carving," said an old trading hand. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/poaching-syndicates-have-reduced-state-protection-for-wildlife-to-a-cruel-joke/articleshow/16799945.cms

Madhya Pradesh yet to form tiger protection force

P Naveen, TNN Oct 14, 2012, 12.42AM IST BHOPAL: A Special Tiger Protection Force (SPTF), aimed at protecting the big cats from poachers, is yet to be constituted and deployed in Madhya Pradesh- the state that has lost it's tag of "Tiger State". A directive from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for constitution of SPTF and sanction of funds from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the same, besides increased cases of poaching of big cats in the state have failed to stir the forest department. Notably, the decision to hand over the poaching of tigers in Panna reserve that wiped out the big cat population there is also being delayed by the department for almost 4 years. Ads by Google Bhopal Facts Get the facts on the Bhopal Tragedy. www.bhopal.com/bhopalfacts Let’s go in an Alto 800 The new Alto 800 is coming soon. Want to buy it? Book Now. MarutiSuzukiAlto800.com A fresh report submitted by the NTCA (on efforts made for tiger conservation) before the Supreme Court judges hearing a PIL seeking 'ban on tourism in core areas' on September 26, says that Karnataka is the first state to have constituted the SPTF followed by Maharashtra. MP does not find a mention anywhere, said sources. When contacted state forest minister Sartaj Singh pleaded ignorance on the matter. "I will have to check with the officers," he told TOI. Not only the STPF, the state forest department has also been delaying the handing over of "Panna tiger reserve (PTR) poaching case" to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for long. The file for CBI inquiry is being shunted between home and forest department for the last four years. To avoid the much demanded CBI inquiry further, the forest department mooted a proposal of creating a three-member committee to investigate the PTR case. They also sought sanction from home department for including inspector general of police (IG) (Sagar), Pankaj Shrivastava, in the committee. But despite the sanction, the team is yet to be functional. Ajay Dubey- the petitioner - on whose petition the Supreme Court banned tourist activities in core areas of tiger reserves, says that he will file an application seeking directives for formation of SPTF during the next hearing on October 16. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had approved the creation of a SPTF in 2007 after it was revealed that the country's tiger population had fallen to less than half of its population reported in 2002. Later based on the tiger abundance and vulnerability, 13 Tiger Reserves in the country, including three from MP (Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh) were identified for raising, arming and deploying the STPF. Panna Tiger Reserve in MP has lost its entire tiger population to poaching by 2009. "A tiger has strayed out of the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve and is being spotted on two lane road between Dhamokar and Koadar jungle. I have inputs that a group of village youths are after it. The tiger could be in trouble if steps are not taken," says wildlife activist Rishi Bhatt insisting upon deployment of SPTF. We have already lost over two dozen big cats in the last one year, he pointed out. Poaching of tigers in Madhya Pradesh is in the focus once again with the killing of two tigers near the state capital recently and cases of poaching from different parts of the state. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-14/flora-fauna/34448084_1_panna-tiger-reserve-special-tiger-protection-force-tiger-population

Madhya Pradesh yet to form tiger protection force

P Naveen, TNN Oct 14, 2012, 12.42AM IST BHOPAL: A Special Tiger Protection Force (SPTF), aimed at protecting the big cats from poachers, is yet to be constituted and deployed in Madhya Pradesh- the state that has lost it's tag of "Tiger State". A directive from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for constitution of SPTF and sanction of funds from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the same, besides increased cases of poaching of big cats in the state have failed to stir the forest department. Notably, the decision to hand over the poaching of tigers in Panna reserve that wiped out the big cat population there is also being delayed by the department for almost 4 years. Ads by Google Bhopal Facts Get the facts on the Bhopal Tragedy. www.bhopal.com/bhopalfacts Let’s go in an Alto 800 The new Alto 800 is coming soon. Want to buy it? Book Now. MarutiSuzukiAlto800.com A fresh report submitted by the NTCA (on efforts made for tiger conservation) before the Supreme Court judges hearing a PIL seeking 'ban on tourism in core areas' on September 26, says that Karnataka is the first state to have constituted the SPTF followed by Maharashtra. MP does not find a mention anywhere, said sources. When contacted state forest minister Sartaj Singh pleaded ignorance on the matter. "I will have to check with the officers," he told TOI. Not only the STPF, the state forest department has also been delaying the handing over of "Panna tiger reserve (PTR) poaching case" to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for long. The file for CBI inquiry is being shunted between home and forest department for the last four years. To avoid the much demanded CBI inquiry further, the forest department mooted a proposal of creating a three-member committee to investigate the PTR case. They also sought sanction from home department for including inspector general of police (IG) (Sagar), Pankaj Shrivastava, in the committee. But despite the sanction, the team is yet to be functional. Ajay Dubey- the petitioner - on whose petition the Supreme Court banned tourist activities in core areas of tiger reserves, says that he will file an application seeking directives for formation of SPTF during the next hearing on October 16. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had approved the creation of a SPTF in 2007 after it was revealed that the country's tiger population had fallen to less than half of its population reported in 2002. Later based on the tiger abundance and vulnerability, 13 Tiger Reserves in the country, including three from MP (Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh) were identified for raising, arming and deploying the STPF. Panna Tiger Reserve in MP has lost its entire tiger population to poaching by 2009. "A tiger has strayed out of the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve and is being spotted on two lane road between Dhamokar and Koadar jungle. I have inputs that a group of village youths are after it. The tiger could be in trouble if steps are not taken," says wildlife activist Rishi Bhatt insisting upon deployment of SPTF. We have already lost over two dozen big cats in the last one year, he pointed out. Poaching of tigers in Madhya Pradesh is in the focus once again with the killing of two tigers near the state capital recently and cases of poaching from different parts of the state. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-14/flora-fauna/34448084_1_panna-tiger-reserve-special-tiger-protection-force-tiger-population

Supreme Court ban on wildlife tourism in reserves is endangering the magnificent creature

Oct 12, 2012, 12.00AM IST Former US president Bill Clinton once quipped: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it, and those who have not seen the Taj and love it.'' For well over three decades now, i have been an inveterate wanderer in the wild and untamed lands of India. And i can safely report that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who have seen a tiger in the forest and love it, and those who have not seen a tiger in the forest and love it still. Unfortunately, this magnificent creature is now stranded at a perilous cross-road - and its fate lies in the hands of us humans. Not a reassuring prospect, to depend on humans when they cannot even guarantee the survival of their own race! A case in point is the recent rumblings in the Supreme Court, where a coterie of so-called wildlife experts have opined that keeping tourists away from national parks and sanctuaries is the best way to ensure the tigers' safety. But this would bring about the tigers' doom sooner rather than later. Way back in May 1985 as a tourist, i came across a dead tiger in the Dhaulkhand range of Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park. The poor animal lay before me, obviously poisoned. At first, the forest authorities went into denial mode. But a series of correspondences which i had with the top authorities of the day ensured that that the matter was properly investigated. A few weeks later, i was duly informed that it indeed was a case of poaching. I shudder to think what would have happened if, at that time, the area was closed to tourists. In many cases of tiger poaching, it is they who first press the alarm-bell. Another example: two years ago, the famous Jhurjhura tigress of Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh was knocked down dead by a vehicle inside the park. Now, she was a celebrity tigress; a darling of wildlife photographers who would troop down to Bandhavgarh from all over the world to capture her with their cameras. The sudden death of the Jhurjhura tigress, proud mother of three newborn cubs, caused a furore which continues to this day. If the tourists and guides at Bandhavgarh had not raised that ruckus over the tigress' death, who would have? Of course, one must grant that C K Patil, then field-director of Bandhavgarh, left no stone unturned to nab the culprits. But very few forest officers are of his calibre. When Sariska and Panna National Parks lost their tigers, the entire forest staff from top to bottom was found napping. It was the media and the tourists who alerted the country to these twin tragedies. It is safe to assume that the tigers in Sariska and Panna were not wiped out in a single day. Even a well-coordinated poaching operation would take weeks, if not months, to achieve the objective, given the elusive nature of a tiger. What was National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the all-powerful central body, doing during this crucial period? Tens of thousands of families today depend on the tiger for their livelihood. Be it a low-paid guide or those working in resorts and hotels around a national park, their kitchen fires are burning because of the tiger. If tourism is banned in tiger reserves, many of these people may well vent their anger on the tiger in sheer frustration. How prepared is the government machinery to take on this challenge? Is it any coincidence that tigers have emerged stronger in those places that attract large numbers of tourists? Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Corbett, Ranthambore, Tadoba; the evidence is irrefutable. In the words of formidable tiger-man Billi Arjan Singh, once a tiger moves out of the protected area, it becomes a forgotten tiger''. It then becomes an easy mark for any passing gun. True, untrammeled tourism in tiger reserves is also a problem - and at times, a grave one. A tiger needs a great deal of breathing space; being a territorial animal, it requires large tracts of undisturbed land. Therefore, a prudent tourism policy - one where picnickers can be separated from wildlife enthusiasts - would be a welcome first step. Jim Corbett hit the nail on the head perfectly when he remarked over half a century ago: "The tiger is a large hearted gentleman with boundless courage and when he is exterminated - as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support - India will be poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna.'' A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the days of Colonel Corbett. Thanks to Indira Gandhi's initiative which led to the setting up of Project Tiger in the early seventies, we did manage to pull the tiger back from the brink of certain extinction. But a bigger battle is before us now. It will indeed be an unparalleled tragedy if the tiger breathes his last in a forgotten, silent corner of a forest, where a 'No Entry' board greets tourists. (The writer is a builder and wildlife enthusiast) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Supreme-Court-ban-on-wildlife-tourism-in-reserves-is-endangering-the-magnificent-creature/articleshow/16772994.cms

Forest staff shun tiger sanctuary

TNN | Oct 12, 2012, 12.16AM IST BHUBANESWAR: Tiger conservation in the Sunabeda sanctuary of Nuapada district took a back seat during the wildlife week with forest officials fearing to venture into the reserve area because of Maoist presence. Around three range officers, 10 foresters and 27 forest guards engaged in wildlife conservation, have stopped entering the sanctuary zone since May 23, 2009, when the ultras ransacked the range office at Cherechua. The forest officials don't have the exact statistics of big cat population. "The last tiger census was carried out in 2004, when the big cat population was 32 and there were 36 leopards. For the last eight years, there was no census. In 2006, attempts were made to conduct census but it failed," said Nuapada divisional forest officer (wildlife) Kapil Prasad Das. In 2010, all employees of forest department, who were deployed at Sunabeda tiger reserve in Nuapada district boycotted tiger census demanding adequate security. Sources said the killing of Katingpani forester Sangram Keshari Swain on April 28 near the sanctuary has made the officials panicky. "It is true our officers are fearful. But we are taking alternative measures and spreading awareness among people as well as the officials. Observation of wildlife week is one such step," the DFO said. Earlier, Maoists had threatened forest officials with dire consequences if concrete roads are constructed inside the Sunabeda sanctuary. Road work was being undertaken under Centre's Integrated Action Plan. A forester, who refused to be named, said they had been demanding their security ever since the Maoist menace began. "We are under tremendous pressure. If we venture into the sanctuary, we will meet the same fate as the Katingpani forester.," he said. Their fears are not unfounded. A month after May 2009 incident Maoists destroyed the beat house at Soseng. In November the same year, the extremists killed anti-poaching watchman Kirish Rout and former ward member of Sunabeda village Chandan Singh Barge. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Forest-staff-shun-tiger-sanctuary/articleshow/16774483.cms

Large-scale awareness marks wildlife week near 4 tiger reserves

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Oct 11, 2012, 09.54PM IST NAGPUR: Even as a lot of noise was made in cities while celebrating wildlife week, the tiger conservation body Satpuda Foundation (SF) concentrated on tribal villages on the fringes of four tiger reserves in the Central Indian region. Several events were organised for a week around Pench tiger reserves on Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh side besides Tadoba-Andhari in Chandrapur and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh. The SF had organised a host of events in eight schools in villages around TATR. Two nature trails for students, three conservation rallies, an essay-writing competition, two drawing competitions, nature games and plantation programme for tribal kids marked the wildlife week around TATR. ""Our basic purpose was to educate these tribals on why the forests and tigers need to be protected,"" said Bandu Kumre, field officer of the SF. Bandu, a former guide with Tadoba, took students for a walk through the jungle adjoining the village in which he helped them identify various species of local flora and fauna. He explained importance of nature and wildlife conservation. At a similar rally at Adegaon, school kids walked through their village forest raising slogans like 'Jal hai to jungle hai, jungle hai to jal hai' and 'Tiger hai to hum hai, hum hai to jungle hai'. An essay-writing contest for zilla parishad school students was also held at Katwal. At Kondegaon, drawing contest was organised. Similarly, the SF team held a nature trail and conservation rally at Khutwanda on the outskirts of Tadoba. Various events were also held in Sitarampeth. In Pench tiger reserve, volunteers organised activities in nearly 13 villages. Here, 7 nature trails for students of village schools, 9 conservation rallies, 5 essay-writing competitions, 9 drawing competitions, face-painting programme and 4 rangoli contests were held. Conservation officer Anoop Awasthi and field assistants Bandu Uikey and Dilip Lanjewar spoke about starting a nursery school in one of the villages. Two film shows on wildlife and nature conservation were conducted apart from guest lectures, quiz etc. The week-long programmes started with a conservation rally at Sawara in which 90 students participated. Similar rallies were organised at Kadbikheda, Zinzeriya and Ghatpendari, Pipariya and Salai, Khapa, Fulzari, Kolitmara, Ghoti and Aamajhari. Near Priyardarshini-Pench reserve, SF organised activities in 10 villages. As a special activity, SF helped four schools set up nurseries. ""We gave 100 polythene bags to each school, along with seeds of heta, kaner and neem. The nurseries were set up at Tuyepani, Khamrith, Telia, and Aamajhari,"" Awasthi said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Large-scale-awareness-marks-wildlife-week-near-4-tiger-reserves/articleshow/16772694.cms

Chouhan joins satyagrahis at Agra, makes right noises

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times Agra/Bhopal, October 11, 2012 Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined the crowd of over 45,000 foot marchers along with his wife in Agra on Wednesday to express his solidarity with their demand for land to landless and shelter for homeless. According to an official spokesperson in Bhopal, Chouhan announced in Agra that patta (ownership right) of land on which a poor person is residing will be given to him in Madhya Pradesh. He urged the central government to enact a land reforms act soon. Over 45,000 landless and homeless people from across 26 states have undertaken a silent foot march (Jan Satyagrh) from Gwalior under the banner of Ekta Parishad. They would cover a distance of about 340 kilometers during 27-day march to Delhi. On reaching Agra today, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan joined the march and promised to withdraw cases against tribals and assured them to provide land of their habitat on lease. Besides, he also declared to order probe against forest officials who damaged the belongings of tribals, who moved for march from MP. On delay in joining the Jan Satyagrah, he said that he was out of country and after his return, he joined the march as soon as possible. He further said the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should think on some important issues including a national land reform policy, ensuring cultivable land for landless people and right to shelter for the homeless. Besides, he urged the PM to do something in the interest of the poor and needy by directing the ministry to look into their issues and play a constructive role in resolving them. He also hoped that there would be a positive declaration at Agra on Thursday. Chouhan further said that there was a lot of stress on saving tigers but nobody seems to be thinking about those living in forests, if all would save only tiger, who would fight for tribals. Chouhan said that the issues relating to poor should be at the core of politics. A special debate was required on the issues concerning the common man. CM informed the gathering that pattas of land had been given to 100076 tribals in Madhya Pradesh. The process of giving pattas would continue in future also until every eligivle tribal got the same, he added. Swami Agnivesh also joined the march and said that Central government was reducing the status of tribals into 'bandhua mazdoor' (bonded labour) by not providing them land. Students of Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) also joined the march. Agra Mayor Indrajeet Balmiki and MP Ramashankar Katheria welcomed the marchers on their arrival in the city of Taj. Sources claimed that the Union Minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh indicated at a possible breakthrough at the meeting with Jan Satyagraha delegation and the march might be called off as early as Thursday if a formula was woked out to the satisfaction of foot marchers. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/MadhyaPradesh/Chouhan-joins-satyagrahis-at-Agra-makes-right-noises/Article1-943033.aspx

Sariska set to get three more tigers

Anindo Dey, TNN Oct 11, 2012, 06.13AM IST Sariska tiger translocation project|Panna Tiger Reserve|NTCA JAIPUR: With the Sariska tiger translocation project bearing fruit in the form of two cubs, the stage is set for Sariska to get three more tigers. In fact, the second phase of the translocation will see the forest department trying to introduce fresh blood into the 866 sq km forest. "Plans have been finalized for the shifting of three big cats to Sariska. One of the tigress will be from Ranthambore and two more (one male and one female) will be relocated from outside the state. It could either be from Madhya Pradesh or Maharashtra and we are talking to both the states," says V S Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forest, government of Rajasthan. Ads by Google Hotels in Pune Best Budget 5 Star Enjoy the inaugral offer now www.rameehotelsindia.com Luxury Home Offer Few Days Left, Book Flats & Win 5 Lacs of Gold + Save 2.7 Lacs! CasabyLodha.com/Call-66429988 The optimism of the forest department in taking the experiment forward stems from the recent sighting of not just one but two cubs last month, nearly four years after the first translocation of male tiger ST1 was done in Sariska. That was on a rainy June morning in 2008. But the joy was shortlived. In the backdrop of numerous controversies on the experiment that began gaining ground, the tigers failed to bring in a litter despite numerous occasion when they were seen mating. This at a time when the Panna tiger reserve, that aped the Sariska experiment, was bursting with cubs. The big jolt came one November morning in 2010 when ST1 was poisoned by villagers. The forests department then relocated a male tiger that had strayed away into Bharatpur from the Ranthambore tiger reserve, taking the total count of big cats once again to five — two males and three females. "We have identified the tigress that will be brought from Ranthambore. Currently the tigress is with her cubs but soon the cubs will become sub-adults and go their way. That is when we plan to bring her into Sariska. In fact, the National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA) has already given an in-principle nod for it," added V S Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forest, government of Rajasthan. On the tiger to be brought from outside, A C Chaubey, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, revealed, "There was a meeting last month in Delhi with officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA )and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Both the bodies were apprised of the plan. At least one tigress will be brought from Madhya Pradesh. But there will be a study done by WII to see if the tigers are compatible before they are actually brought in." However, cynics already see the move as a confused step. "Initially the forest department had expressed opinions of wanting to keep the Ranthambore breed of tigers pure. Why the sudden change in plans? Moreover, just two cubs may be too early to call the experiment a success. But it is not just numbers... what about making the habitat safer for tigers. Just last month there was an incident of a leopard being poached in Sariska. Added to that there has been little effort in relocating more villages or even curbing traffic on the roads that skirt the reserve. The forest department should first initiate these then take the experiment forward," conservationists felt. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-11/flora-fauna/34386031_1_sariska-tigress-male-tiger

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve body floats 'priority entry' scheme for tourists

Mazhar Ali, TNN | Oct 6, 2012, 01.12AM IST CHANDRAPUR: There is good news finally for wildlife tourists planning for a safari in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) with the start of new season. TATR will open with 'priority offer' for its visitors, provided Supreme Court lifts the ban on tourism in tiger reserve in coming days. TATR Tiger Conservation Foundation has approved Rs 4 lakh for the purchase of books titled 'Wild Maharashtra', published by Sanctuary Asia, in its last governing body meeting. A total of 400 books, procured at subsidized rates, will be sold to tourist at cover price and foundation expects to earn handful sum from the sale. Those tourists purchasing the book costing Rs 2950 will be offered 'priority entry' into the tiger reserve, provided the Supreme Court lifts ban on tourism in tiger reserve. Decision to give 'offer' on the book was taken during the meeting of the foundation, headed by forest minister Patangrao Kadam, on September 18. The foundation will utilize the sum earned from the sale of books on 'capacity building' of the forest department staffers. The minutes of the meeting have specific mention about the decisions. Greens have, however, slammed the idea of offering privilege entry to tourists. President of Friends of Tadoba, Niraj Potdar said, "The proposed offer on purchase of book is absurd and makes no sense. The wealthy tourists, who are capable of spending extra Rs 3000, will seek privilege entry by purchasing the book. The common tourists, who queue up for hours for tickets on gates, will be deprived of the chance of entry. It appears to be pathetic attempt to oblige the publication." Gate fees hiked for new season Todoba will open its gates to tourist with new fee structure after Supreme Court spells out its verdict on tourism in tiger reserves. TATR Tiger Conservation Foundation has decided to increase gate fees per vehicle to Rs 1000 on Saturday, Sunday and festive days. However, on week days tourists will be charged Rs 750 per vehicle. Earlier, the gate fee per vehicle was Rs 500. TATR is most popular tiger reserve in Central India visited by average over 60,000 tourists a year. The apex court is expected deliver its verdict on on October 9. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Tadoba-Andhari-Tiger-Reserve-body-floats-priority-entry-scheme-for-tourists/articleshow/16691341.cms

India loses 39 rhinos, 69 tigers in just a year

Chetan Chauhan & Digambar Patowary, Hindustan Times New Delhi/Guwahati, October 05, 2012 India's National Wildlife Week celebrations have been dampened by shocking deaths of endangered animals - 69 tigers and 39 rhinos in the first nine months of the year. Tiger deaths in 2012 are more than five times higher than last year's 13 casualties and the highest since 2001, when 72 big cats died. Of the 69 tigers, 41 fell prey to poachers. "Many poaching cases were from the fringe areas of tiger reserves, where protection isn't adequate," said Kishore Rithe, member, National Board for Wildlife. In 2010, the National Tiger Conservation Authority recorded 1,706 tigers, an increase of over 20% in four years. Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, which saw the highest increase, reported 12 tiger deaths each. The National Wildlife Crime Bureau is alarmed that poaching has spread from the north to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the south. Rhinos in Assam's Kaziranga National Park (KNP) faced a greater threat from floods than poachers this year. While 28 were drowned in floods in the Brahmaputra in June and September, 11 were wiped off by poachers. The most recent poaching cases were on September 27 and claimed two rhinos. Environment ministry officials said the protocol issued after the floods was ignored. Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan blamed the shortage of staff. "The Assam government has done its best. But there is a genuine shortage of people," she said. Kaziranga had 2,290 rhinos, according to the 2010 census report. Rhino horns have a huge demand as aphrodisiacs in south Asian countries. Three smugglers arrested on Thursday claimed each rhino horn fetches them at least Rs. 40 lakh. A poached tiger is worth over Rs. 30 lakh in the international market. India's borders with Nepal and Myanmar are the two transit routes. "Vietnam and Cambodia are the main destinations as Chinese medicines based on tiger body parts are produced there," said a document circulated by an international wildlife protection body. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-loses-39-rhinos-69-tigers-in-just-a-year/Article1-940421.aspx

Tiger tourism: revised norms replace 10% tax with fixed amount

The monthly sums to be paid by the resorts will be decided based on which category they come under Neha Sethi The government has to submit the new norms to the Supreme Court, which is deciding a case on curbing tiger tourism in India, before the next hearing on 27 September. New Delhi: The government’s revised guidelines on eco-tourism propose allowing restricted tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves, according to two government officials privy to the new norms. The guidelines also recommend that resorts bordering India’s 41 tiger reserves pay fixed monthly sums to the government instead of the 10% eco tax proposed earlier. The government has to submit the new norms to the Supreme Court, which is deciding a case on curbing tiger tourism in India, before the next hearing on 27 September. The monthly sums to be paid by the resorts will be decided based on which category a resort comes under. The category will be determined on the basis of the area resorts occupy and the revenue they earn. “All the resorts will be divided into different slabs based on the basis of their revenue and their area among others and then they will pay a fixed amount from their revenue monthly,” one of the government officials said. The slabs will be finalized in a couple of days before the guidelines are submitted to the court, he said. The second official confirmed this. Both officials declined to be identified. The Supreme Court on 29 August gave the government about a month to re-draft guidelines for tourism in tiger reserves. Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati had sought more time to do this keeping in mind both tiger protection and sustainable tourism. The first government official cited above, however, said the guidelines were being re-drafted under pressure from lobbyists for the tiger tourism industry, which is worth at least Rs.1,000 crore annually, according to some experts. This lobby was unhappy with the Supreme Court’s interim decision on 24 July to ban any form of tourism in the core areas of the 41 tiger reserves to aid conservation efforts. The core area is a critical habitat for tigers and is identified on the basis of availability of water, prey and shelter. After the court’s 29 August direction, the government constituted a committee to revise the eco-tourism guidelines. The committee recommended that a fixed amount be collected monthly from resorts near tiger reserves, which will be used for the welfare of the local communities and aid conservation efforts. The previous guidelines recommending a 10% eco tax were on the same lines and suggested that the funds “collected should be earmarked to fund human-wildlife conflict management, conservation and local livelihood development.” The first government official said the new guidelines do not call for a ban on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. “Restricted tourism will be allowed in core areas. States will have the power to limit the...tourists going into core areas. However, they will not be allowed to exceed the current limit on tourists in every tiger reserve,” the official said. State-level and local area committees will be constituted to advise state governments on tourism limits in core areas, the official said. The mandate of these two committees was mentioned in the previous guidelines too. “The tourism activity in a reserve will depend on the potential of the tiger reserve,” the official added. There is also a plan to include local bodies such as gram sabhas and panchayats in conservation, and to “give them a bigger role in planning and decision making”, he said. States will design their own an eco-tourism plans for tiger reserves based on the Union government’s broad guidelines. “It will be on a case-to-case basis,” the official said. The revised guidelines, he said, are “specific for tiger reserves.” The previous norms were called “guidelines for eco-tourism in and around protected areas” and were not specific to tiger reserves. Activist Ajay Dubey had filed a special leave petition to stop “inviolate activities” including tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves in the Supreme Court in July 2011. He approached the apex court after his demand to ban tourism in the core areas was rejected by the Madhya Pradesh high court in January 2011. Environmentalists Shekar Dattari, a wildlife filmmaker, and Swathi Seshadri of Equations, a non-governmental organization that works on tourism, declined to comment on the redrafted guidelines because they are part of the committee that framed them. Conservationist Prerna Bindra said she couldn’t comment on the guidelines before they are made public. http://origin-www.livemint.com/Politics/nSaLEAh6h7DJS7I983mvSM/Tiger-tourism-revised-norms-replace-10-tax-with-fixed-amou.html

Forest panel rejects Adani’s coal proposal

Published: Wednesday, Sep 19, 2012, 9:56 IST By Akshay Deshmane | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA A special committee of senior Maharashtra forest officials has rejected clearance to Adani Power Ltd’s proposal for setting up an open cast coal mine in Chandrapur’s Lohara block citing a threat to the survival of tiger and other wildlife in and around the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). The block falls under the proposed eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the tiger reserve. The minutes of this committee’s September 4 meeting perused by DNA show that there is sufficient evidence of tigers and other wildlife frequently using the area proposed to be mined for coal. The area is part of the “continuous wildlife corridor”. The special committee was set up to study the project proposal submitted by Adani Power Project for diversion of forest land for the coal block. “Any mining lease allowed around TATR would result in isolation of TATR from the rest of the central Indian landscape, which would jeopardize the very survival of tiger in TATR. The isolation of healthy population would lead to gradual deterioration of tiger reserve,” the committee observed and said,”Mining and other related activities will adversely affect wildlife movements outside protected area also.” The committee made these remarks after noting that TATR has connectivity to other protected areas (PAs) mainly through eastern and southern side which extends to Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It also pointed out that “the corridor on southern side is least fragmented and almost continuous.” The mining lease alloted to Adani Power Ltd falls in this corridor and would result in its fragmentation. The adverse impact is not limited to wild animals as “the project involves felling of a large number of trees and an untold number of shrubs, herbs and grasses causing incomprehensible destruction of floristic diversity of the the tract.” The four-member committee comprised chief conservator of forests, Chandrapur, BSK Reddy; TATR field director Virendra Tiwari; SP Thakre, general manager, Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra, North Chandrapur region, and P Kalyankumar, deputy conservator of forests, Chandrapur. Speaking to DNA, Virendra Tiwari said, “The adverse impact on wildlife continues after a mere removal of two compartments from the buffer zone of TATR. So, the proposal was rejected.” Chandrapur-based Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre, who has been leading an agitation against mining in TATR, accessed the minutes of the meeting through a Right to Information (RTI) application. He said, “Now, the nodal officer of the forest department where the company submitted its proposal should be receptive to the observations and concerns raised by officials in the committee and accept the rejection. If forest officials consistently take such decisions which are in favour of wildlife and environment, there will be no need for people to come on the streets to agitate.” Adani Power Ltd did not reply to an email questionnaire sent by the correspondent on the issue. However, sources in the company said it is looking for an alternative block and wants to surrender the Lohara (west) extension block. “Since it is obvious that chances of getting forest clearance are slim, we don’t plan to pursue it further. We will seek its deallocation and also request the coal ministry for an alternative block as it is necessary to ensure fuel supply to our 3, 300 MW Tirodia power plant, “ said a company source. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_forest-panel-rejects-adanis-coal-proposal_1742575

Cheetah, lion can co-exist: MoEF

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi, September 19, 2012 Advocating the re-introduction of cheetah in Kuno Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh (MP) the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has rejected the claim that lions and the extinct cat cannot co-exist in the same territory. It has also sought vacation of May 8, 2012 Supreme Court (SC) stay to pave way for the implementation of its ambitious Rs. 91.56 crore project to reintroduce the extinct cheetah. The ministry's affidavit was filed pursuant to an SC order that raised apprehensions of cheetah's reintroduction especially in wake of the Centre's decision to move Gir lions from Gujarat to Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. It had even wondered if there was enough wild prey for cheetah to survive at Kuno. MoEF wants to import African cheetahs to Kuno. Filed through advocate Wasim Qadri, the affidavit assured import of cheetah to Kuno would not delay or affect the lion reintroduction there. It said the cheetah and lions have historical coexistence in the Kuno range and that the sanctuary had “adequate wild prey to support wild carnivores.” The ministry would not incur cost on procuring cheetahs since Namibia is donating the cats. It denied that the allocation made to Project Tiger had been reduced due to cheetah reintroduction program. Around 85% of the cheetah reintroduction budget is earmarked for protection and for relocation of three villages in Kuno sanctuary. According to the ministry a joint study by Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India had short listed MP as one of the three to reintroduce cheetah. Since Kuno's habitat status had improved owing to relocation of 24 villages, the ministry zeroed it in. There were 16 species of cats in India, including the cheetah. The latter is the only cat species, which has become extinct in the country, leading to its reintroduction. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Bhopal/Cheetah-lion-can-co-exist-MoEF/Article1-932304.aspx

Maharashtra's Tadoba reserve records 65 tigers

PTI | Sep 13, 2012, 12.08PM IST CHANDRAPUR: In an encouraging development, the tiger population in and around Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has been shown to be going steady with 65 big cats being reported to be inhabiting this wildlife belt, forest officials have claimed. There are at least 65 tigers in the area, excluding the 20 odd cubs sighted in the area, which is quite encouraging, TATR chief conservator of forests and field director Veerendra Tiwari told PTI. The figure has been reached after the tiger monitoring exercise held in the reserve between April 1 and May 31, 2012, during which the movements of felines in various parts under TATR were monitored by as many as 94 camera traps, Tiwari said. "There are a minimum of 43 tigers in TATR while at least 20 carnivores are present in buffer area (around the core reserve), besides presence of two animals being reported in the adjoining FDCM (Forest development corporation of Maharashtra) area," he said. Spread over 625 sq kms of area, TATR is known for high density tiger population. On the accuracy of the census, Tiwari said even the figures on population census at the national level might not be accurate point-to-point, despite the fact that people have a specific address, locality and other details for contact. It is likely that some individuals might miss the census drive for some reasons or the other. "In case of a tiger, it is free to roam in any area of its choice and its territory ranges from 35 to 50 sq kms and hence, none can be sure to trap it in the cameras installed for the purpose until the animal sticks to its usual trail or track," he stressed. "All that I can claim is that there are a minimum of 65 tigers in the territory," the official said.

New panel to ready tiger tourism norms in 10 days

Nitin Sethi, TNN | Sep 13, 2012, 06.15AM IST NEW DELHI: Another panel has been set up by the ministry of environment and forests to decide eco-tourism guidelines in core areas and peripheral buffer zones of tiger reserves, and submit a report within 10 days. The panel's creation comes on the back of ministry's commitment to the Supreme Court that it would review its proposed norms on eco-tourism and get back to the SC with a final version by September 29. The new panel includes two wildlife scientists K Ullas Karanth and Wildlife Institute of India's Y V Jhala. Also, there are Brijendra Singh, considered close to the Gandhi family and a member of the National Board of Wildlife, Raghu Chundawat, a tiger expert and a resort-owner in Madhya Pradesh, Shekhar Dattari a wildlife filmmaker, Swathi Sheshadri of Equations, an NGO that works on tourism, Tushar Das of NGO Vasundhra, which works on tribal rights, and Arun Bhatnagar, a retired bureaucrat. In addition, the committee will have representatives from tribal affairs, tourism and panchayati raj ministries, besides chief wildlife wardens of MP, UP, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Assam. The member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority will serve as convener on the committee. The committee been tasked to "prepare a comprehensive set of guidelines for tiger conservation and tourism as provided in section 380 (c) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972". It has been asked to keep all existing laws in mind, including the Forest Rights Act, while drawing up the guidelines. While the apex court had put a complete but interim ban on tourism in the core of tiger reserves, the ministry had earlier recommended only partial tourism in the core run by communities. The ministry's suggestions had a rider. It sought to put stringent conditions including a cess on revenues of the resorts around tiger reserves to fund conservation. Several tour operators and resort owners had opposed both the court's interim order and government guidelines. Several states, too, had opposed a complete ban. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/New-panel-to-ready-tiger-tourism-norms-in-10-days/articleshow/16376322.cms

Now, tigers and leopards targeted by Maoists

Last Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2012, 10:10 Tags: Tigers, Leopards, Maoists Patna: Pushed to a corner after "Operation Biswas", a police drive to contain Maoists, the rebels have now struck upon a new strategy to collect funds, police say. Rohtas Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said the police drive had effectively ended the 'levy raj' of the Maoists, who could no longer get easy money by targeting road contractors, businessmen or traders. He said the Maoists in Rohtas and Kaimur districts were, however, fast emerging as poachers, smuggling the organs, skin and horns of wild animals to raise money. Among the animals targeted by the Maoists were leopards and tigers, police said. "Operation Biswas, a police drive against Maoists mainly in Rohtas and Kaimur, bordering Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, has turned out to be hugely successful. The Maoists have not recovered from the setback," Maharaj said. Rohtas and Kaimur are considered as Maoist-strongholds in the state. Police officials say that the Maoists appear to be working in cahoots with poachers. Maharaj said that some days days ago, police recovered arms and ammunition along with equipment used for poaching from Maoists arrested in Ulho and Gotahar villages. Maharaj said police had arrested Indu Paswan, kingpin of the Maoist poachers, Aug 7. Police also recovered a leopard skin and two sets of deer horns from Paswan. Four arrested Maoists informed the police that tiger and leopard skins were sold illegally in the market at a price ranging between Rs.2.5 lakh and Rs.5 lakh. Deer hide fetched Rs.50,000 to Rs.1 lakh. A set of horns sold for Rs.20,000 to Rs.30,000. A senior official said that after the Maoist-poachers were arrested, police in all districts were alerted to keep a watch on the poaching activities of Maoists. IANS http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/now-tigers-and-leopards-targeted-by-maoists_799366.html

Pune's Yashda to launch tiger corridor study

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Sep 13, 2012, 04.18AM IST NAGPUR: The Yashwantrao Academy of Development Administration (YASHDA), Pune, will launch a study of tiger corridors in Vidarbha soon. This will be the first official study on corridors by the state forest department. On Wednesday, preliminary talks were held at Nagpur between Bharat Bhushan, professor for environmental planning and secretary of Yashada, and A K Saxena, acting chief wildlife warden and additional principal chief conservator of forests ( APCCF), wildlife, Nagpur (East). Bhushan confirmed having discussed preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for the corridor study. Yashda, is the administrative training institute of the state government and meets the training needs of departments and rural and urban non-officials and stakeholders. It has been asked to do a corridor study and Rs 18 lakh have been allocated to it by Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management And Planning Authority ( CAMPA), Nagpur. Saxena told TOI Yashda will study tiger corridors between Pench-Nagzira-Navegaon-Bor-Tadoba and its linkages to Kanha and Indravati. "In the later stages, a corridor study of Melghat will also be done," he added. Saxena gave a fair idea of corridors and how they are affected by roads, power lines, railway tracks and canals. Yashda will do sample survey, data collection, movement of tigers, mapping etc and prepare a detailed project report (DPR). Help from NGOs like Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) will also be taken, he said. "We have asked Yashda to prepare a protocol as early as possible. What practices should be adopted in the corridors will also be suggested," Saxena said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Punes-Yashda-to-launch-tiger-corridor-study/articleshow/16375497.cms