Thursday, 28 March 2013

Human settlements, a threat to Sathyamangalam tiger reserve

P. OPPILI

Unauthorised temples, new resorts disturbing the tranquillity

The presence of a large number of people in
core areas disrupts movement of animals
Unauthorised temples, new resorts and makeshift shops inside the core area are major threats the newly formed Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is facing.

The State government announced the formation of the fourth tiger reserve in the State through a notification, issued on March 15 this year.

Members of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement pointed out that several unauthorised places of worship were found inside the tiger reserve. There are three main temples – Karuvannayan temple near Nandhipuram, Bannariamman temple Bannari and Madeswara temple in Kongalli. The three temples are under the control of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board. Apart from them, several unauthorised temples are found inside the core area, say the members.

People visiting these temples camp there, even cook, and travel in large numbers into the core areas in trucks. Their movement creates a lot of disturbance to the wildlife. The State government must immediately relocate the unauthorised temples from the core areas, the members pointed out.

Another important issue is the springing up of new resorts in the core areas. S. Jayachandran of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement said Kongalli, Mavallam, Araiya Palayam and Hasanur are the places where the resorts are coming up. There were more than 200 resorts inside the STR.

Man-animal conflict

In the long run, it will lead to man-animal conflict, he said. The department officials have to immediately promulgate the ecologically sensitive zone to stop any more resorts in the core areas, he said.

Environmentalists also pointed out that during festival season, people set up shops, stay in the forests and defecate in the core tiger reserve area. Temporary shops have come up right on the elephant corridors located between Susilkuttail and Bannari. The Forest department authorities have to intervene and take action under the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, the activists said.

‘Make them partners’

Raman Sukumar, Professor and Chairman, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Sciences, who began his research on elephants in the early 1980s, said the tiger population had increased substantially in the Sathyamangalam area. A good number of settlements over a century old were in Hasanur, Talamalai, Geddasal, Chikkahalli, Neydalapuram and Kadambur, to name a few. People in these settlements co-existed with the tigers over time. These people should be made partners in the management of the tiger reserve.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/human-settlements-a-threat-to-sathyamangalam-tiger-reserve/article4560872.ece

CAG faults Project Tiger scheme in State

Odisha TV Bureau | Mar 28, 2013 7:24:34 AM
Bhubaneswar: The Comptroller and Auditor general of India (CAG) has severely criticised the implementation of Project Tiger scheme saying the tiger population in Odisha declined drastically due to inadequate protection measures and deficiency in project management.

The central audit body in its report also rapped the state government for not providing inviolate space for the big cats, low pace of expenditure and delay in relocation of villages from core area.

Quoting tiger census 2004 and 2010, the report stated that tiger population in Odisha fell from 192 in 2004 to 32 in 2010, and both Similipal Tiger Reserve (TR) and Satkosia TR were ranked as ‘POOR’ in the assessment report of MoEF, GoI.

The report pointed out Rs 23.37 crore was utilized by the Field Directors (FDs) of the Rs 27.23 crore released for Similipal TR and Satkosia TR under their Annual Plans of Operations (APOs) for five years (2006-11). “This indicated that there was lack of proper planning and deficiencies in financial management,” it observed.

Lambasting the lack of unified command and control system, the report noted in Satkosia TR there was no full time and the TR was under the supervision of Satkosia Wildlife Division and Mahanadi Wildlife Division.

“As per the guidelines of Project Tiger there should be a Field Director exclusively for each Tiger Reserve” it said.

“Thus the Tiger Reserves did not function under one single line of command and control and the dual administration in supervision of the Tiger Reserves in contravention of the Project Tiger guidelines affected the project implementation and protection inside the Tiger Reserve which has also been specifically mentioned in the assessment report of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for Similipal Tiger Reserve,” the report said.

The NTCA considering the endangered status of tigers and the need for urgently stepping up protection in sensitive areas formulated a set of guidelines in May 2009 for deployment of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) at Similipal TR with 100 per cent central assistance under the scheme Project Tiger.

“But no initiative was taken by GoO for raising of STPF during the period 2009-11. In May 2012, the GoO passed a resolution for establishment of the STPF as per NTCA guidelines after passage of three years. Thus the Tiger Reserve was deprived of central assistance for protection measures. Thus, poaching of elephants, illegal tree felling and mass animal hunting like Akhanda Shikar in the STR could not be controlled,” it noted.

Source: http://odishatv.in/NewsDetail.php?otv=bmV3c0lkPU5TNjg4NTU

Tribal villagers take away arrested poachers


Baripada: Armed with bows and arrows, tribal villagers forcibly took away two arrested poachers along with guns from forest patrolling team in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, oficial sources said today.

The incident occured at Bahalada under Dukura forest range, about 30 kms from here in Similipal sanctuary area last evening when a large number of tribals confronted the forest patrol party.

Forest patrol party had arrested two poachers and seized two guns from them at Bahalada on the foothills of Similipal but later local tribals including women gheroed the forest staff and took away poachers along with guns, Anup Kumar Nayak Field Director Similipal Tiger Reserve said.

A protection assistant was injured in arrow attack by tribals and admitted to district headquarters hospital here, Nayak said adding DFO, Baripada Bijay Kumar Panda rushed to the spot with his force.

(Agency Inputs)

Source: http://www.odishareporter.in/city/baripada/tribal-villagers-take-away-arrested-poachers