LAGATAR 24 NETWORK
Daltonganj, Aug 27: The principal chief conservator of forest wildlife and chief wildlife warden Kulwant Singh was on his two-day official tour of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) beginning Saturday.
This is the first visit of Kulwant Singh to the PTR after becoming the chief wildlife warden of Jharkhand.
Sources said the chief wildlife warden was briefed about the PTR. He later saw grasslands, water bodies, check dams, explored avenues of new check dams, site for the third railway line, mitigation measures in the event of killing of humans by elephants and other animals like bears, relocation of two villages Latu and Kujrum from PTR to non PTR areas etc.
Sources said the chief wildlife warden was of the firm view that unless PTR develops its inviolate area, grasslands, prey base etc any talk about translocating tigers from other reserves to this place is simply outlandish.
P K Jena, deputy director of the north division of the PTR on being contacted said “Our chief wildlife warden saw everything from grasslands to water bodies. He suggested us to how to go about raising new check dams so that it can have optimum rain water from its catchment area.”
Jena said the chief wildlife warden was shown Chhipadohar railway station where the two previous rail lines along with the third railway line are to be re-aligned.
The chief wildlife warden interacted with forest guards also which is being described as the most basic thing here in the PTR since the forest guards here are in difficult situations and know which footstep is of whom (including Naxals).
Sources said the chief wildlife warden inquired about the payment of wages of the contractual trekkers etc who go seven to eight months without wages almost every year. Pending wages is the hallmark of the daily wagers in the PTR.
On being asked if the chief wildlife warden inquired about the growing biotic pressure on the PTR to which Jena said he was concerned about the high dependency of the people living in and around the PTR on its jungles and produce.
