International Tiger Day Today: With the increase in the number of big cats, the pressure of development on their habitats has also increased, bringing animals and humans at the crossroads. 44 deaths have been recorded in Maharashtra so far this year
Nagpur: Just a year ago when the country celebrated International Tiger Day, the number of big cats increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018. But all is not well. tigers facing one of the biggest threats from man-animal conflict.
These figures speak for themselves in Maharashtra, which is grappling with the worst human-animal conflict ever. 44 people have died in the state since January 1, 2021. The state had recorded 88 deaths in 2020.
Of the 44 human deaths this year, 34 (93%) have been recorded by tigers and leopards in Chandrapur-Gadchiroli districts alone.
“In Chandrapur district, there were 31 deaths in just seven months. This is close to the 33 deaths recorded throughout 2020. We cannot rule out more such accidents by the end of the year,” said the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF). NR Praveen.
According to the All India Tiger and Leopard Estimates-2018, the number of tigers in Maharashtra has increased from 190 in 2014 to 312 in 2018 and now to 350. Similarly, the number of leopards has increased to 1,690, which is the third highest number in the country. Therefore, an action plan is needed to prevent conflict.
Human-animal conflict has always created a political storm. Since 2013, subsequent governments have set up at least three high-level committees of experts and senior officials to address the problem and crop harvesting by wildlife.
According to Wildlife Board member Bandu Dhotre, the latest committee of members of the State Wildlife Board (SWBL) submitted a report earlier this year “but action on all these reports is pending”. “It is high time that the government implements the recommendations to save the wildlife species,” he said.
Suresh Chopne, president of the Green Planet Society, Chandrapur, warned that human-wildlife conflict often leads people to kill animals in self-defense or in retaliation, which could drive tigers and leopards to extinction.
Even the latest WWF and UNEP report, released on 8 July, warned: “India faces the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict, driven by development pressures. With populations as well as the largest wild populations of tigers, Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos, Asiatic lions and other globally threatened species, India is facing immediate problems, which need to be protected by socially appropriate conservation. must be addressed to receive.”
On the instructions of the Standing Committee of NBWL, two high-level committees under the Chief Secretary at the State level and one under the District Collectors have been constituted in May 2021 to deal with conflicts, crop damage, cattle slaughter and suggest measures.
This has apparently been done to seek better coordination among all the departments. However, these panels are only on paper. Senior forest officers admit that they do not get the necessary support from other departments except the police.
Acknowledging the escalation in conflict, PCCF (Wildlife) Sunil Limaye said this is because humans are encroaching upon forested areas. “Dealing with man-animal conflict is not the job of the forest department alone. We need cooperation from other departments as well,” he said.
Limaye said the reports of both the committees would soon be placed before the SBWL for approval. “Even though the reports are pending, local people are being mobilized to win their trust with capacity building and timely compensation,” he said.
PCCF (Budget) Pradeep Kumar said that out of the over Rs 29 crore that was to be paid for conflict compensation, till last month, Rs 20 crore has been released and there are plans to create a corpus of Rs 30 crore.
Wildlife conservationist and head of the Satpura Foundation, Kishor Rithe, believes that existing and proposed linear projects like railways, highways, canals and transmission lines will continue to create problems to disperse the wild animal population.
According to Reethe, encroachment on tiger habitats has become a serious issue in the last five years. “There are large-scale encroachments on tiger habitats and satellite imagery and the Forest Department POR (Preliminary Crime Report) has together proved that they are using the Forest Rights Act (FRA) as a shield. In 2013, our committee on crop damage by wildlife had made several recommendations, but these are yet to be implemented,” he said.
Wildlife enthusiast Dr Jeryl Banat said that tiger conservation has to come to the level of policy making.
spreading like wildfire
number game
Year ———-D—————— C
2017 ————54 ——————-4.32
2018 ————33 ——————3.12
2019 —————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————
2020 ————88 ——————-12.75
2021* ————44 —————-6.60
(* In seven months. D: Human death. C: Compensation in Rs. crore)
slaughter of cattle
2017 | 5,961
2018 | 6,909
2019 | 8,311
2020 | 9,258
problems
* In the last five years, 258 people have died in Chandrapur district and more than 10,000 cattle are killed every year
* According to WII, there are 62 tigresses in the district and 90% of the conflict is due to them. Cubs include more females, complicating the problem
* Most of the deaths occur mostly in March, April and May of Mahua flower and tendu patta collectors. Shepherds become targets in June, July and August. 10 people have died in June and July alone
*Excess population of tigers is going out of natural habitat
what is needed
*Long term and short term measures in Chandrapur district
* Make it mandatory for agencies to buy land in corridors in lieu of forest land diverted for projects
*Compensatory Afforestation in Tiger Corridors
* Change cropping patterns and protect tiger corridors and capacity building of local people on carnivorous behavior
.