M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Feb13: As the management of the Palamu tiger reserve has submitted its vision document to the Jharkhand High Court at Ranchi on Feb 4, its chief conservator of forest and field director Kumar Ashutosh spoke of the things that he, his team and his seniors in the state government envisage to do in this tiger reserve.
Lagatar24.Com spoke to Ashutosh on Sunday morning. Excerpts of the interview:
Q: Everyone talks about the translocation of the tigers here in PTR?
A: We do too. We have this agenda right on the top. We want to house tigers here from outside.
Q: You have the National Tiger Conservation Authority. This translocation of the tigers issue is to be decided first by this NTCA. Isn’t it?
A: The NTCA is the biggest decider. It has its technical committee. The technical committee of the NTCA is to take the first call in regard to the translocation of the tigers here.
Q: The ministry of environment, forest and climate change government of India is also there for the translocation of the tigers.
A: Yes, very much. The NTCA is to first clear the decks of the translocation of the tigers.
Q: Panna tiger reserve has not enough of the tigers itself. How can it afford to agree to any shifting of the tigers from there to the PTR?
A: Very rightly pointed out. Panna tiger reserve is not rich in tiger population. It is not in a position to part with any of its tigers.
Q: Is Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh that you people are looking forward to the translocation of the tigers?
A: Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh is definitely rich in the population of the tigers there. There is a good density of tigers here. But I repeat it is the NTCA that is to take the final call.
Q: Prey base has to be strengthened if tigers are to be housed here.
A: We have a vision for at least four soft release centres of the Cheetal in that part of the tiger reserve where our eyes do not meet them. Cheetal is the favourite prey of the tigers.
Q: Tenu and Lokiya locales can have a soft release centre of the Cheetal?
A: We have gorgeous grass land at Tenu. These two locations can have a soft release centre of the Cheetal.
Q: A 600 meter concrete wall built recently in the Betla National Park triggered a great controversy but in the Panna tiger reserve there is a huge such wall. Why do people here so distrust the management of the PTR?
A: The Panna tiger reserve does have a long wall. I will only say we need people’s co-operation in the betterment of the PTR. No further comment.
Q: Protection of wildlife matters most. What about it in the PTR?
A: We have a contingent of the tiger protection force here. We have a fleet of the towers here in the PTR. We are to activate these towers as that of our round the clock patrol centres.
