M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Aug 19: A member of a three-person committee, which was set up by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in April this year for technical and management inputs for the revival of the Palamu Tiger Reserve, Dr K Ramesh had a three-day marathon tour of both the divisions of the tiger reserve.
The other two members namely Pradeep Kumar retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden, Jharkhand and Shailesh Prasad retired PCCF UP could not come to the Palamu Tiger Reserve. However, these two in Ranchi held parlance with the additional chief secretary forest L Khiangte.
Dr K Ramesh is a senior scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. He was apprised of the acute crunch of the foresters and forest guards in the PTR.
There are only 3 foresters here right now and one of them is to retire this coming September.
Mukesh Kumar, deputy director South division of PTR said, “As we will be soon left with just 2 foresters which will mean each of the two divisions of the PTR will have only one forester each.”
On the other hand, there were 150 forest guards in the PTR earlier which has depleted to around 100.
According to sources, forest guards who were appointed by the government when found other jobs did not delay to forsake this job.
Kumar Ashish, deputy director of North division PTR said, “We have apprised Dr K Ramesh of the ground reality of the PTR like its grasslands, water bodies, issue of the third railway line, widening and strengthening of the state highway etc.”
Ashish said the NTCA committee member interfaced and interacted with the villagers who are members of the eco-development committee of Rabdee village. Dr Ramesh laid stress on the generation of revenue and gave all-out support to the cause of setting up a Tiger Safari in the PTR. He had this faith that it would attract tourists from all over the country.
Apart from this, there is a nagging problem of relocation of two villages Latu and Kujrum situated right in the core area of the Palamu Tiger Reserve. The visiting member noticed this issue in all seriousness, said Mukesh Kumar deputy director South division.
Cheetals are to be imported from Betla to the south division of PTR and the reserve is also toying with the idea of even importing them from the zoo for which permission has to be sought from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) India. Locals double up as small-time poachers as quite recently PTR had nabbed three with slain deer meat.
The NTCA member has to submit his report to the additional chief secretary forest Jharkhand L Khiangte. The additional chief secretary forest Khiangte had a sitting with the NTCA committee in Ranchi on August 17.
