A Question of Survival for Kanha's Tigers

-


Lalit Shastri

(The Hindu (New Delhi), 30 Dec. 2006)

Poachers continue to pose a serious threat to the survival of tigers in Madhya Pradesh. Two of them were arrested on December 19 and tiger skins were seized from them. A gun was also recovered. They were active in the Hoshangbad forests and used Jabalpur as a transit point.

Earlier this month, a tiger was rescued after tourists informed the staff of the Kanha National Park that they spotted the animal in Mukki range with one of its claws caught in a crude clamp. The forest personnel tranquillised the tiger and rescued it. Tribals from the villages falling in the buffer zone along the Balaghat-Mandla border could have laid the trap, officials said.

Besides the problem of poaching, the Park also faces immense biotic pressure. K. Nayak, field director, Kanha Tiger Reserve, told The Hindu that there were 18 forest villages inside the Park. Three villages were part of the habitat of the endangered Barasingha, a rare species of deer found only in Kanha. The villages need to be relocated to reduce biotic pressure on the habitats of the tiger and its prey.

The Tiger Reserve is surrounded by a buffer zone of over 1,000 sq km. Comprising 150 villages, it stretches over two revenue districts, Mandla and Balaghat, and is not a Protected Area. Asked about the level of biotic pressure inside the Park, Mr. Nayak said villagers continued to enter the core area for grazing their cattle and collecting fuel wood.

Admitting that a tiger had recently been caught in a poacher's trap inside the Park, he said the forest staff had been sensitised and all efforts were being made to check the poachers. The 2005 habitat assessment showed that the tiger population in the national parks and sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh was 394 against the Census figure of 416 in 2004. There are nine national parks in the State — Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Satpura, Sanjay, Madhav, Vanvihar, and Fossil. Besides, there are 25 sanctuaries. The 2004 Census put the number of tigers at six in Rani Durgawati sanctuary (Damoh) and seven at Palpur Kuno. However, last year's assessment showed there was not a single tiger in the sanctuaries. The areas falling under them are contiguous with Ranthambore in Rajasthan.

Similarly, the boundaries of three districts of Chattisgarh Kavardha, and Rajnandgaon also touch the forests of Madhya Pradesh. Hence, the tiger census projections have been questioned by experts.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India's Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Section 45 of PMLA: A Critical Analysis

-
  Lalit Shastri   The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) stands as a law against financial malfeasance, yet its provisions, notably the definitions under Section 2 (u), Section 2 (y), Section 3 relating to Scheduled Offence like misuse of funds attracting Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Section 45 of PMLA , have stirred a maelstrom of debate regarding the delicate balance between justice and security.  Section 447, which even provides for a seven year jail term, can be imposed and prosecution proceedings initiated against someone who may not even be guilty merely on the subjective, biased or vindictive Inspection Report prepared by the Inspecting Officer of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.  The matter could be worst confounded if the proceedings under the Companies Act, 2013 are vitiated at the behest of vested interests to distort the findings and conclusion in the Inspection Report. Once a court takes cognizance of prosecution complaint under Secti
Read more

A Call for Peace, Inclusion, and Sustainability on my Birthday

-
Image
Lalit Shastri As a global society, we must strive for peaceful coexistence and embrace the spirit of inclusivity. Our shared future depends on our collective responsibility to protect the environment, preserve wildlife, and safeguard the delicate balance of our ecosystems, including our rivers and forests. It is time we shun violence, extremism, and division in all its forms, fostering unity over discord. We envision a socio-economic order where equity, transparency, and accountability reign, ensuring that skill and merit are valued over privilege, exploitation and denial of equal opportunity to all due to the quota or reservation system. Also, corruption has no place in a society where every individual is dedicated to the common good, working for the advancement of humanity and securing a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.  Together, we can build a world where compassion, justice with fairness, and progress guide our actions—creating a legacy that honors both t
Read more

Quantum Physics and Vedanta

-
Image
  “Whenever I give a lecture on Quantum Physics, I feel as if I am talking on Vedanta!” – Hans Peter Dürr. Lalit Shastri The above quote by  Peter Dürr prompted me to explore deep and draw a comparison or draw an analogy between Quantum Physics and Vedanta. The idea that "matter doesn't exist" in quantum physics can be confusing because it challenges our everyday understanding of reality. Here's a simplified explanation: Classical vs. Quantum View Classical Physics: In the everyday world, we see objects as solid and well-defined. A chair, for instance, is a solid object with a clear location and shape. This is the classical view of matter. Quantum Physics: At the smallest scales, the rules of the universe behave very differently. Instead of being solid and fixed, particles (like electrons, protons, etc.) exist in a state of probabilities. They don't have definite locations or state until they are observed or measured. Key Concepts 1. Wave-Particle Duality : In qu
Read more