Vanishing Stripes II
A Report by CREW On the Status of Tiger and Its Habitat
in the Central Province of Madhya Pradesh, India
April, 2000
Tiger and Its Habitat
Tiger continues to remain the main concern of CREW when we are confronted with the question of the protection and conservation of wildlife and ecological balance in the country in general and Madhya Pradesh in particular. Unfortunately the circumstances on the ground indicate that the powers that be only pay lip service and exhibit superficial concern for the basic issues involved; whereas they remain mainly interested in deriving benefits, both financial as well as political by ensuring populist activities to continue even in the core forest areas. Unless ecological balance is ensured on a long-range basis, no living species, including the human beings, may be able to survive. CREW remains vitally concerned about the survival of Tiger as the most important of the wildlife species in its natural ecologically balanced surroundings.
The idea is to save the tiger in its natural surroundings. The tiger will be safe in the wild only when there is prey-base. This would in turn depend on the survival of the flora, i.e., grasses, fruit bearing trees, herbs, shrubs, and the water bodies along with other factors linked with the habitat.
All this would form a perfect ecological system, leading to better climate and rainfall by protecting the green cover, reducing soil erosion, recharging the ground water, ensuring perennial flow in rivers and nullifying other factors that pollute the environment. Consequently the phenomenon of Global warming would get arrested, the ozone layer would be protected, there would be less harmful radiation and the Earth would become a better place for the coming generations.
What should not be lost track of by any one is the importance of each and every link in the vital ecological chain because once the chain gets broken, it is bound to trigger grave after effects. The unfortunate part of the whole story is that the Trustees of nature—those holding executive authority—only lend lip service when it comes to protecting the ecological chain. The ground reality is rather dismal since the politicians and those responsible for protecting the forests and wildlife either choose to turn a Nelson’s eye or end up becoming part of the whole nexus or the mafia engaged in looting the forests and other natural resources.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Down hill march
We present here the introductory chapter from the book—Political Mirage—50 years after India became Republic
The Down hill march
It is more than five-decades now that the vast subcontinent of India became Independent and the people oppressed for hundreds of years under foreign rule, perhaps rightfully, hoped and expected that under their own leaders, who had fought shoulder to shoulder with them the struggle for Independence, they would be progressing on the path leading to agricultural, industrial and infrastructural development, which would in turn ensure education, employment, better living conditions and all-round happiness and satisfaction for all of them. They had immense faith in the honesty, integrity and commitment of their leaders who in their new roles in the Parliamentary Democracy as Ministers were consequently vested with immense powers and discretion, both administrative and financial, to push through the dreams and expectations of the millions in the right direction without any hindrance or obstruction.
The framers of the Indian Constitution perhaps miscalculated in a way by ignoring the fact that all those stalwarts who had sacrificed their all during the freedom struggle would, through the normal aging process, get phased out and get replaced by generally unworthy successors who would regard politics as a profession and feel that no maneuvering and no stooping was too low or too unworthy for them so long as it ensured their continuity in power with perks, positions and gains steadily pouring in.
Through this steady decline in the moral fabric of the political leadership, the so called steel structure of the Indian bureaucracy also could not remain unaffected and was made to twist, turn and bend till they could be rightfully called the “committed bureaucrats”. Unfortunately such commitments were rarely for the good of the country or the good of the people or for upholding the constitutional provisions. Rather such commitments reduced most bureaucrats into “YES MEN” who were always too ready to extend help, assistance and guidance to their political masters. Soon the political masters wanted to rule the country in their best political interest and in the best interest of those near and dear to them and after that in the best interest of their party because the strength of their party alone could ensure their continuity at the helm of affairs.
The “Mutual Help Private Limited” formed by the politicians and the bureaucrats has weakened and ruined the administrative functioning in the country and has brought it to the present level where the Indian official functioning has the dubious distinction of being one of the most corrupt in the world.
The Down hill march
It is more than five-decades now that the vast subcontinent of India became Independent and the people oppressed for hundreds of years under foreign rule, perhaps rightfully, hoped and expected that under their own leaders, who had fought shoulder to shoulder with them the struggle for Independence, they would be progressing on the path leading to agricultural, industrial and infrastructural development, which would in turn ensure education, employment, better living conditions and all-round happiness and satisfaction for all of them. They had immense faith in the honesty, integrity and commitment of their leaders who in their new roles in the Parliamentary Democracy as Ministers were consequently vested with immense powers and discretion, both administrative and financial, to push through the dreams and expectations of the millions in the right direction without any hindrance or obstruction.
The framers of the Indian Constitution perhaps miscalculated in a way by ignoring the fact that all those stalwarts who had sacrificed their all during the freedom struggle would, through the normal aging process, get phased out and get replaced by generally unworthy successors who would regard politics as a profession and feel that no maneuvering and no stooping was too low or too unworthy for them so long as it ensured their continuity in power with perks, positions and gains steadily pouring in.
Through this steady decline in the moral fabric of the political leadership, the so called steel structure of the Indian bureaucracy also could not remain unaffected and was made to twist, turn and bend till they could be rightfully called the “committed bureaucrats”. Unfortunately such commitments were rarely for the good of the country or the good of the people or for upholding the constitutional provisions. Rather such commitments reduced most bureaucrats into “YES MEN” who were always too ready to extend help, assistance and guidance to their political masters. Soon the political masters wanted to rule the country in their best political interest and in the best interest of those near and dear to them and after that in the best interest of their party because the strength of their party alone could ensure their continuity at the helm of affairs.
The “Mutual Help Private Limited” formed by the politicians and the bureaucrats has weakened and ruined the administrative functioning in the country and has brought it to the present level where the Indian official functioning has the dubious distinction of being one of the most corrupt in the world.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Kanha Tiger Reserve and biotic pressure
From: http://www.globalwarmingeurasia.com
The buffer zone of the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Central India leaves a direct impact and exerts biotic pressure on the peripheral Park area.
The villagers here depend largely on the resources of the Protected Area when it comes to the collection of fuel wood and Minor Forest Produce, use of some water bodies and cattle grazing. Eighteen forest villages are located within the boundary of Kanha National Park. Three
of these are located inside the core zone and the remaining in the peripheral area.
There are also 150 villages spread in 5 different ranges of the Buffer Zone Division. At least 40 peripheral villages have an impact, in one form or the other, on the protected area. The villagers, either Gond or the Baiga tribals, are traditionally food gatherers and pastoral. For subsistence, they also rely on collection of minor forest produce and wages earned through routine park works. Now they are also adapting to the agriculture mode of production. As a policy, the buffer zone of Kanha is being treated as an eco-development zone. Through various interventions, the idea is to ensure rural development and economic betterment of the indigenous people, while seeking people's participation in the protection of the core area. A buffer zone outside a Protected Area or the core zone of a Tiger Reserve is ecologically very essential to establish the vegetal connectivity with the adjoining forests to maintain the gene flow as corroborated by the theory of insular ecology. The 1991 amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) provides hardly any scope for consumptive use of natural resources within a Protected Area. However what is adding to the biotic pressure on the Kanha Tiger Reserve is over-population, both humans as well as cattle in the buffer zone.
This has dislocated the man to wilderness ratio, which has eventually paved the way for overuse of natural resources. Kanha Tiger Reserve has a buffer zone of 1009 sq. km. surrounding the core. The buffer zone, which is not a protected area, is spread out in two revenue districts of the Central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh: Mandla and Balaghat. The earliest records relating to the landuse by the surrounding villages of the Kanha Tiger Reserve dates back to around the late 1860s, when the villagers took to slash and burn technology and shifting cultivation. Gradually, they began cultivating crops like paddy, wheat and other cash crops--mainly for domestic consumption.
In the buffer zone, presently the predominant land use is agriculture, forestry and minor forest produce collection. Eco-tourism and involvement of stakeholders in tourism related activities is also picking up near the National Park entry points. While one or two small quarries of "murram" and stone exist in the revenue portions of the buffer, the Hindustan Copper Ltd. is situated about 10 kms. from its boundary.
Some of the common problems faced by the Park Management are: Illicit grazing, petty theft of fallen fuel wood, and poles for house construction, fishing, honey collection, manmade fires to promote new flush of tendu leaves, animal poaching (hunting with bow and arrow, poisoning and trapping), contamination of peripheral waterholes by village cattle, and the spreading of weeds due to seed dispersal.
The villagers here depend largely on the resources of the Protected Area when it comes to the collection of fuel wood and Minor Forest Produce, use of some water bodies and cattle grazing. Eighteen forest villages are located within the boundary of Kanha National Park. Three
of these are located inside the core zone and the remaining in the peripheral area.
There are also 150 villages spread in 5 different ranges of the Buffer Zone Division. At least 40 peripheral villages have an impact, in one form or the other, on the protected area. The villagers, either Gond or the Baiga tribals, are traditionally food gatherers and pastoral. For subsistence, they also rely on collection of minor forest produce and wages earned through routine park works. Now they are also adapting to the agriculture mode of production. As a policy, the buffer zone of Kanha is being treated as an eco-development zone. Through various interventions, the idea is to ensure rural development and economic betterment of the indigenous people, while seeking people's participation in the protection of the core area. A buffer zone outside a Protected Area or the core zone of a Tiger Reserve is ecologically very essential to establish the vegetal connectivity with the adjoining forests to maintain the gene flow as corroborated by the theory of insular ecology. The 1991 amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) provides hardly any scope for consumptive use of natural resources within a Protected Area. However what is adding to the biotic pressure on the Kanha Tiger Reserve is over-population, both humans as well as cattle in the buffer zone.
This has dislocated the man to wilderness ratio, which has eventually paved the way for overuse of natural resources. Kanha Tiger Reserve has a buffer zone of 1009 sq. km. surrounding the core. The buffer zone, which is not a protected area, is spread out in two revenue districts of the Central Indian State of Madhya Pradesh: Mandla and Balaghat. The earliest records relating to the landuse by the surrounding villages of the Kanha Tiger Reserve dates back to around the late 1860s, when the villagers took to slash and burn technology and shifting cultivation. Gradually, they began cultivating crops like paddy, wheat and other cash crops--mainly for domestic consumption.
In the buffer zone, presently the predominant land use is agriculture, forestry and minor forest produce collection. Eco-tourism and involvement of stakeholders in tourism related activities is also picking up near the National Park entry points. While one or two small quarries of "murram" and stone exist in the revenue portions of the buffer, the Hindustan Copper Ltd. is situated about 10 kms. from its boundary.
Some of the common problems faced by the Park Management are: Illicit grazing, petty theft of fallen fuel wood, and poles for house construction, fishing, honey collection, manmade fires to promote new flush of tendu leaves, animal poaching (hunting with bow and arrow, poisoning and trapping), contamination of peripheral waterholes by village cattle, and the spreading of weeds due to seed dispersal.
Illegal fishing thrives in tiger reserve
from: The Hindu
By Lalit Shastri
BHOPAL, AUG. 16. There has been a spurt in illegal fishing in the Totladoh reservoir inside the Pench tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh despite a ban imposed by the Supreme Court in this Protected Area. There was tremendous biotic pressure on the Pench reserve forest when the Pench dam was under construction. Soon the managers of the reserve forest were confronted with the problem of illegal fishing but this menace could be contained only after the Supreme Court had ordered a complete ban on fishing in this reservoir.
State Forest Department sources told this correspondent today that hundreds of villagers are involved in illegal fishing in the Totladoh reservoir. When contacted, the founder President of Vasundhra, a Nagpur-based non-Government organisation that has been in the forefront spreading awareness about forests and wildlife among school students and the public, Gopal Ramchandra Thosar, said that anti-social elements were again active and large-scale fishing went on unabated in the reservoir. Mr. Thosar, who is a member of the Maharashtra State Wildlife Advisory Board, said that the labourers who had come to work on the Totladoh project ended up settling at the same site. It was with the intervention of the Maharashtra High Court that the labourers' colony was removed from the Totladoh reservoir area. It was only after the removal of this human settlement that the problem of illegal fishing could be fully contained, he said, adding that due to the soft approach being adopted by the authorities, the problem of illegal fishing and biotic pressure is once more acquiring grim proportions. He said that illegal fishing is being done on both sides — in Madhya Pradesh as well as
A special eco-development plan was being implemented by the Park authorities over the last few years to keep a check on biotic pressure due to the villages in the buffer area. As the rights of people inside the Pench Tiger Reserve were extinguished, concerted efforts were made under the World Bank funded Eco-Development Project that began in 1997-98 to encourage the people residing in 99 villages around the Protected Area to develop their own resources to free them from dependence on the project Tiger area. In the process, many of those engaged in the illegal fishing were employed in forest related activities. people.
Illegal sand mining a threat to the Chambal river: M.P. Minister
from: The Hindu
Staff Correspondent
| Call-attention notice moved by BJP MLA from Sumawli in Morena district |
The Minister said survival of Gharial (Gavelia Gangeticus) and other wildlife species that lay eggs in sand "is greatly threatened by sand mining in the Protected Area".
Mr. Kothari was responding to a call-attention notice moved by Gajraj Singh Sikarwar, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Sumawli in Morena district.
The National Chambal Sanctuary has its headquarters in Morena district and the issue acquires special significance as a ruling party member from the area raised it.
Mr. Kothari told the House that on the one hand the State Government tries to curb the menace of illegal sand mining and on the other a large number of local residents including labourers, traders and truck operators continue to be involved in illegal mining activity.
He said a truck (M.P. 05/E-6564) was seized during a joint operation launched by the district administration, police and forest department on July 6. However the truck was forcibly taken away by an angry mob. Five policemen were injured in the incident. An FIR was later lodged at the Sarai Chola police station and the police are investigating the case.
The Minister said five labourers were killed when a truck overturned on June 23 and in another accident on July 4, four labourers were injured. He said the truck involved in the June 23 accident was illegally transporting sand and the Forest Department is investigating the case. He said 56 vehicles had been seized in 63 separate cases registered by the
Mr. Kothari said that "illegal mining of sand in the National Chambal Sanctuary is threatening many endangered species and it is important to bring the situation under control".
He said the State wildlife Board had recommended that a 10-km. stretch of land near the Piprai mine be de-linked from the sanctuary. "The State Government would request the Supreme Court to grant permission for denotifying such areas."
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Vanishing Tigers
Tiger shot by poachers in the Panna-Satna forest dies at Van Vihar
courtesy: http://www.bhopalpost.com
BHOPAL: A wounded tiger, shot by poachers at Uchera in the Panna-Satna forest belt, died at Van Vihar here on Friday.
The villagers had informed the forest authorities about the wounded tiger that was transquilised, operated upon and brought to the Van Vihar National Park here by the Panna National Park authorities earlier this week.
The tiger, whose central nervous system was damaged and rear legs were paralysed by bullet wounds, was twice operated upon within a period of 48 hours by veterinary experts. Despite best efforts the tiger could not be saved.
The entire episode is a grim warning how the tigers are threatened by poachers in Madhya Pradesh Forests. The latest estimation of tiger population by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Government of India's Tiger Conservation Authority shows that the tiger population has dwindled to alarming levels in Madhya Pradesh. The death of the Uchera tiger should be treated as one of the last nails in the Tiger's coffin.
Fourth park tiger killed in a week!
Courtesy:
The Hindu
Friday, Dec 24, 2004
By Our Staff Correspondent
Earlier the carcass of a tigress and her cub, slaughtered by poachers, was found in the buffer area of
information passed by an informer after this poaching incident, a resident of Kurai village was arrested as he was found possessing few tiger nails. During
interrogation, he passed information that led to the seizure of another tiger's skeletal remains from Kurai Ghati deep inside the
The number of tigers poached or killed under mysterious circumstances in the
Totladoh dam.
The Thuepani villagers, who were among the first to spot the tiger's body on Monday morning have been firm in stating that the tiger had a bullet wound on its
head. According to informed sources, the forest staff that subsequently reached the spot from Totladoh tried to hush up this whole case by just completing the
formality of a post-mortem and hurriedly burning its remains.
In their official records, forest department sources have pointed out, the forest authorities are now showing it as a natural death caused by some wound
that could have been inflicted during a fight with another tiger over control of territory.
While the State Chief Wildlife Warden, P.C. Shukla was not available for comments as he was on tour, the State Principal Chief Conservator of
Dwivedi told The Hindu today that the Chief Conservator Wildlife, Suhas Kumar has rushed to Pench to study the ground situation and submit a report at
the earliest.
He confirmed that the number of tigers found killed inside the Pench National Park in the last one week has gone up to four. He denied on the basis of preliminary reports that the fourth tiger found killed near Thuepani village had been shot dead.
In May 1996 the Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh had granted permits for fishing in Totladoh reservoir inside Pench to 305 persons displaced due to the construction of the Pench Hydro-electric Project Dam.
These permits had been challenged by the Delhi-based Animal and Environment Legal Defense Fund on the plea that they were violative of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. After the Supreme Court had passed its judgement on the
Ever since Thuepani, which falls in the Chhindwara district, has become an easy entry-point for those crossing the
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