LOCAL NEWS FROM INDIA
ANDHRA PRADESH
Project Tiger and Srisailam Tiger Reserve
In 1983, prior to the commencement of Project Tiger in Andhra Pradesh, the number of tigers was put at 65. However by 1995 there were only 34 tigers left. In February 1997 the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) conducted a review of Project Tiger in Andhra Pradesh, the report of which was recently tabled in the State Assembly. The main findings of the report are given below: Despite availability of Central government funds, the State government failed to create necessary infrastructure for proper implementation of Project Tiger. Funds to the tune of Rs. 12.8 lakhs were left unutilised. Human settlements in Project Tiger reserves of the State, covering 3,568 sq km spread over 5 districts, had not been relocated posing difficulties in the management of these areas. No effort was made to analyse the possible reasons (e.g. poaching, migration, etc.) for a steady decline in tiger population in the State to enable the Forest Department to take remedial measures. The Department, on the other hand, had failed to evolve any alternative census techniques, resulting in unreliable estimates of tiger numbers. The CAG report rejected the Forest Department argument that there are difficulties in conducting tiger census due to non-traceability of pug marks. Another serious lapse was the insufficient and inadequate wireless network within the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Although 14 wireless stations were proposed for the Reserve, only 10 were eventually set up, of which three have been taken away by extremists operating in the area. According to Central Government guidelines issued in 1983, management plans were required to be formulated for every 10 year period in two phases of 5 years each and submitted to the Centre for approval. It was found that no management plan was prepared for the period 1985-1990. (See also JPAM Update 15, January 1998:2 'Tiger Poaching in Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve' and JPAM Update 14, August 1997:2 'Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam: Naxalites against Project Tiger') Source: 'Project Tiger Kills Species' Deccan Chronicle, 2 May 1998.
ASSAM Assam's Shrinking Grasslands The floodplains of the main rivers in Barak Valley, North Cachar Hills, Southern Nagaon and Hamren Valley were once the home of rich elephant grassland. The main grasslands at Bagori, Burhapahar-Deochur (part of Kaziranga), Laokhowa, Burhachapori and Kochmora harbour at least 50 species of mammals and 150 species of birds over the year. Globally endangered species found in the area include the Indian rhinoceros, water buffalo, tiger, Bengal florican, Asian elephant, swamp partridge, and lesser adjutant stork. A report completed for the Biodiversity Conservation Prioritization Project (BCPP) of WWF-India, notes that today grasslands cover less than 2% of the area. Dr. Anwaruddin Choudhary, principal investigator, cites population explosion and consumerism as the main causes for the dwindling grasslands. He suggests that NGOs could motivate villagers by educating them in population control, improved methods of agriculture for higher productivity and understanding the importance of conservation. Dr. Choudhary also suggests that Laokhowa and Burhachapori Sanctuaries be amalgamated and some remaining grasslands be added to form a single protected area. He stressed the need for strong and effective management of the area along the lines of Kaziranga National Park besides recommending a rhino reintroduction programme from the densely populated Pobitara area. Source: 'Shrinking Grasslands Hit Assam's Biodiversity' Times of India, 20 April 1998. Contact: Dr. A. Choudhary, Advisor, WWF-India, NE Regional Office, 202 Meghmallar House, FC Road, Uzan Bazar, Guwahati 781 001, Assam. Tel: 91-361-550 257, 543 339, 560 926. Shekhar Singh, C 17/A Munirka, New Delhi 110 067. Tel/fax: 91-11-617 8048; Email: bcpp_wwf@unv.ernet.in
BIHAR / UTTAR PRADESH Terai grasslands provide refuge for criminals A study conducted by the Centre of Wildlife and Ornithology, Aligarh Muslim University reveals that the biggest surviving tracts of Terai grasslands on the Indo Nepal border are threatened by criminal gangs. The Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar and the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary in UP have become safe havens for the local timber mafia and other criminal gangs. In fact the study itself had to be undertaken with the help of armed guards. The police in both states appeared to be totally indifferent to the plight of Forest Guards who often risk their lives in order to carry out their duties. The Terai area provides refuge to several endangered species like swamp francolin, Hispid hare, bison and Indian wild dog. Salim Javed who heads the project suggests that the Terai grasslands could still be saved through a joint patrolling effort by the police and the Forest Departments of Bihar and UP to flush out the criminals. Source: 'Terai Grasslands Threatened by Gangs: Study' Times of India, 16 May 1998. Contact: Salim Javed, Centre for Wildlife and Ornithology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, UP.
DELHI Notorious wildlife trader arrested in Delhi Raj Kumar, alias Pappu, brother of the notorious wildlife trader Sansar Chand, was arrested in Delhi on 19 June 1998, in an operation by the wildlife enforcement agencies assisted by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). Pappu has been a trader of tiger and leopard skins and bones for many years, and active in and around a number of protected areas in north India. His first recorded case was in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in December 1988, when a tiger was found dead with bullet wounds. He however evaded arrest and was declared a proclaimed offender in 1989. In 1993 he and his brother-in-law Kishan Lal were arrested with six leopard skins. That case is still pending in the courts. He is also believed to be connected to past poaching cases near Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Dudhwa National Park in UP and other areas in Madhya Pradesh. These are currently under investigation by WPSI. Source: Belinda Wright, WPSI, on nathistory-india@lists.princeton.edu, 20 June 1998. Contact: Belinda Wright, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Thapar House, 124 Janpath, New Delhi 110 001. Tel: 91-11-621 3864; Fax: 336 8729; Email: blue@nda.vsnl.net.in.
GUJARAT Oil Spill and Cyclone in Marine National Park and Sanctuary An oil spill of nearly 20,000 litres at the Indian Oil Corporation terminal at Vadinar, 3 km from the Marine National Park and Kutch Marine Sanctuary in Gujarat, has threatened the area which is home to around 800 different species of marine life. There are also reports of widespread damage due to the recent cyclonic storm which ravaged Gujarat's coast earlier this year; while press reports have justifiably focused on human loss and economic damage, equally serious may be the destruction of coastal and marine ecosystems. The extent of ecological damage due to the cyclone remains uncertain. Source: Various postings by Bittu Sahgal and others on nathistory-india@lists.princeton.edu. Contact : Bittu Sahgal, Sanctuary Magazine 602 Maker Chambers V, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, Maharashtra Tel: 91-22-283 0061; Fax: 287 4380; Email: bittu@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in.
Legal action against Girnar ropeway Various NGOs, including Mahajanam, Viniyog Parivar Trust and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), have opposed the plan to construct a ropeway through the Gir forests close to the Gir National Park (see JPAM Update 14). The National Park is famous for being the only remaining wilderness home to the Asiatic lion. The Gujarat Tourism Department has given a green signal to Usha Breco Company to build the ropeway to the temples in the Girnar hills, which are visited by 12 lakh visitors every year. NGOs are opposing the project on the ground that the increased and easy access provided by the ropeway would endanger the sacred groves around the temples which is also home to a diversity of wildlife. In addition, an increase in urbanisation, forest fires and possibly poaching, resulting from the enhanced tourism may also occur. NGOs feel that the ropeway will take away the means of livelihood of the local communities like the Doliwallah and the Tadagars, for whom transporting the pilgrims to and from the temples is a major source of income. They also estimate that 40,000 trees will be cut down to make way for the project, though the government denies that there will be any large scale felling of trees. The NGOs plan to take legal action if the government does not drop the ropeway project. It is not clear if this will be in addition to the case already filed by the Nature Club of Sabar (see JPAM Update 14). Source: Lina Choudhary, 'Legal Action Planned Against Move to Construct Ropeway Through Gir' The Times of India, 3 July 1998. Contact: Asad Akhtar, Conservation Officer, Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, Dr. Salim Ali Chowk, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai 400 023. Tel: 91-22-282 1811; Fax: 283 7615. For more campaign details, contact: Manish Vaidya, Nature Club of Sabar, B60 Harsh Nagar, D'Cabin, Sabarmati, Ahmedabad 380 019, Gujarat. Tel: 91-79-746 7073; Fax: 333 243.
JAMMU AND KASHMIR Indiscriminate duck shooting at Hokarsar Hokarsar wetland, a renowned migratory bird reserve in Badgam district of the Kashmir valley, saw more than 20 poachers go on a killing spree in Mrch this year. The barrage of shotgun fire aimed at migratory ducks and geese commenced everyday at 5:30 am, and continued unchecked for nearly 15 days. No action has been taken against these poachers, identified as affluent businessmen from the Dal and Nageen Lakes area, due to their alleged connivance with the local police. False charges were brought against the four wildlife guards who resisted this illegal shooting and they were told to allow the shooting to continue. Under the J&K Wildlife Protection Act, the penalties for poaching includes steep fines and possible imprisonment. Even licensed weapons cannot be carried into the Kashmir valley without sanction for the exact purpose for which the weapon will be used. Source: Vikram Jit Singh, 'Police Wink at 15 day Duck Poaching Spree', Indian Express 17 March 1998.
KARNATAKA Tribals submit alternative plan for Nagarhole National Park Tribal activists have submitted an alternative plan for the management of the Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka. Whereas a World Bank funded official ecodevelopment plan would cost Rs. 56 crore, the tribal plan would cost a much smaller amount of Rs. 3 crore. Additionally, hundreds of tribal families who have lived in the forests for centuries need not be displaced if the alternative plan is implemented. Though the official ecodevelopment plan does not insist on displacement it encourages a 'voluntary' relocation plan where the tribals would be encouraged to resettle outside the Park and take up income generating activities like dairy, poultry farming and fishing. This plan however is perceived as a cultural and livelihood threat by the nearly 7,000 tribals who inhabit the forests of Nagarhole. The fate of the 18 tribal hamlets which had been ousted to make way for the Kabini river project in the 1970s is still fresh in many memories. None of the ousted people reportedly received just compensation. They could neither return to their homes in the forests nor could they find a decent means of livelihood outside. Most of them turned into coolies or beggars and some even took to stealing to survive. Activists argue that the official plan does not make provisions for the tribals to live within the forest with full rights, in the absence of which the tribals will be squeezed out of the Park. Nor does it take into account the tribals' own conservation-related practices and knowledge. The alternative plan would build on these, and would also use the help of the Forest Department to counter external threats. Source: K.S. Dakshina Murthy, 'Tribals Submit Alternative Plan for Nagarhole', The Hindustan Times 26 June 1998. Contact: (see WHAT'S AVAILABLE?)
Nagarhole National Park Land Reclaimed In a letter dated 28 May 1998, the Principal Forest Secretary directed the Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka, to take over in 45 days the forest area leased to the Taj group of hotels at Nagarhole National Park in Kodagu district. The Centre has also asked for a report, to be submitted within 60 days, fixing responsibility for the violation of the Forest Conservation Act and the action taken on the officers involved. About 63 sq km of land in the dense forests of Nagarhole were leased out to Gateway Hotels and Gateway Resorts Limited under an 18 year contract. The leasing out of land had violated the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests on eco-tourism. A separate tourism zone is required to be delineated for a protected area which was not followed in this case. Some of the claims made by the Karnataka government to the high court vis a vis a public interest litigation on the deal, filed by the Nagarahole Budakattu Janara Hakkustapana Samithi, have been found incorrect. Though the State had contended that the leased forest land was in the tourism zone according to a notification, in fact it was in the core zone of the Park. Circumstances had proved that facts had been deliberately distorted to make out a case that forest area was put to non-forest use before the enactment of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980. The Conservator of Forests, Mysore, and the Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Hunsur, had certified that no violation of law had taken place while leasing out the forest land. The PCCF had contended that the construction of a hotel complex would in no way affect wildlife and habitat. However, the close proximity of the complex to the core area boundary and the subsequent increase in vehicular traffic would definitely have an adverse impact on wildlife and habitat. (See also JPAM Update 13 April 1997:2, 'Monumental Victory for Tribals Against Taj Hotel in Nagarhole') Source: Vinay Madhav, 'Nagarhole land leased to Taj group to be Reclaimed', Indian Express 7 June l998.
KARNATAKA / GOA Tiger habitat at Bhimgad threatened by dam
A dam across the Mahadayi river, on the border of Goa and Karnataka threatens a vital tiger habitat from where at least 15 tigers have been reported. Pre-empting proposals to declare the entire area a wildlife sanctuary, both State governments insist on going ahead with their plans to build the dam. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, has been asked to produce an environmental impact assessment report on the project. Apart from tigers, the many limestone caves in the region are home to a variety of bats, including the Wroughton's Freetailed Bat, said to be found nowhere else in the world, according to the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Meanwhile, a group of wildlife enthusiasts from Mumbai along with the Belgaum Nature Lovers Club, Belgaum, have been campaigning to get the area declared a sanctuary. In a letter to the Karnataka authorities, they have pointed out the enormous ecological significance of the area, and the various threats it faces. Apart from the dam, they have highlighted the threat of privately owned land in the area being bought over by the mining industry. (For a related report, pl. also see 'Bhimgad: A forest worth saving' by Durgesh Kasbekar et al, and 'Bhimgad: A spot-visit report' by Anand Pendharkar in Sanctuary Asia, Vol. XVIII No. 2, April 1998. Source: Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia, on nathistory-india@lists.princeton.edu. Contact: Vrushal Dongre, Major Mhaskar, Vishweshwar Madhav & Durgesh Kasbekar, 402 "Bhagyalakshmi", Kennedy Bridge, Opera House, Mumbai 400 004, Maharashtra Email: vrushald@hotmail.com. Belgaum Nature Lovers, c/o G.S. Science College, Tilakwadi, Belgaum 590 006, Karnataka. Tel: 91-831-480 353; Fax: 625 3969; Email: natureclub@hotmail.com.
MAHARASHTRA Protest against proposed Nandurmadmeshwar Sanctuary Jaywant Bhimrao Bhosale, Vice President, Swatantraya Bharat Party, has threatened to undertake an indefinite fast to demand cancellation of the proposed 100.13 sq km Nandurmadhmeshwar bird sanctuary to be set up at in Niphad taluka of Nashik district. According to Bhosale, the proposed bird sanctuary would render 50,000 farmers landless. This includes adivasis and harijans who solely depend on agriculture for sustenance. Farmers from 10 villages who were practising cooperative farming would not be allowed to draw water from the Nandurmadmeshwar canal. Use of diesel pump sets, tractors etc. would also be prohibited as it might affect the birds once the Sanctuary was set up. However, a recently concluded study on the protected areas of Maharashtra has indicated that the area is already a Sanctuary with the settlement of rights and leases procedure in progress. A substantial portion of the Sanctuary, besides the reservoir in the middle, is in fact agricultural and common land of 11 villages with a population of 19,000. The reservoir forms a primary source of water for irrigation with several farmers also cultivating the draw down area as well. It is possible that the unrest among farmers may be linked to the implementation of the Supreme Court order asking for completion of settlement procedures in protected areas where they are still pending. Sources: 1. 'Stir Against Bird Sanctuary', Indian Express 20 April 1998. 2. Pathak, et al. Directory of National Parks in Maharashtra. In Press.
Fires in Melghat Tiger Reserve Melghat Tiger Reserve, one of Maharashtra's finest tiger habitat, has suffered a series of disasters in the recent past including the ill-advised widening and tarring of roads that has caused major disturbance and siltation of water courses. Recent reports from Melghat also confirm a severe forest fire having affected a large part of the core area. It is possible some Gaur deaths that have been reported may also be related to the fire. Bittu Sahgal, who has consistently been involved with conservation issues in Melghat besides the rest of the country, has raised several questions on the fires. According to him though fires have always presented a high risk in summer, the Park management still need to answer questions such as: Were firelines cleared in time before the dry season? Were fire watchers at their posts? Why did the fire go out of control? What other animals were killed ? Source: Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia, on nathistory-india@lists.princeton.edu. Contact: Conservator and Field Director, Melghat Project Tiger, Amravati, Maharashtra. Tel: 91-721-662 792. Kishore Rithe, Honorary Wildlife Warden, 'Prathishtha', Bharat Nagar, Akoli Road, Near Sainagar, Amravati 444 605, Maharashtra. Tel: 91-721-672 359; Email: ncsa@bom3.vsnl.net.in.
Tansa Sanctuary & Borivali National Park covered by Mumbai's water conservation campaign For decades the environment movement has carried the (often deserved) burden of being labelled "negative" and distanced from the common person. An initiative that seeks to alter this perception is the Save the Lakes Campaign in Mumbai, to focus the citizen's attention on the source of their water supply and thus win their support to protect the catchment forests of the critical lakes on which an estimated 12 million people are dependent. Protected areas like Tansa and Borivali are part of this catchment. Equitable distribution of water among users in Mumbai, and its conservation and purity, feature high on the agenda. A group of citizens have agreed to meet regularly (every Thursday, 5 pm at Hornbill House) to work out a strategy, evolve a consensus and share responsibility for tasks to further the campaign. Work on the campaign already underway, though on a somewhat low key, includes: meetings of credible NGOs with officers of the Maharashtra Forest Department discussions with the BMC and BMRDA and several corporate offices who have agreed to support the campaign slide shows and lectures organised in more than 30 schools. (See also JPAM Update 14 August 1997:5 'Borivali: Mumbai Residents Campaign to Save the Lakes') Contact: Bittu Sahgal (see GUJARAT above)
Slow movement on alternatives in Pench National Park Adding another chapter to the ongoing debate in Pench (see JPAM Update 12 December 1996:4 'Petition on Pench Tiger Reserve'), the Minister of State for Forests, Vinod Gudadhe Patil, addressed a meeting at Totladoh on 27 October 1997, in the presence of officials from various government departments including Forests, Irrigation and Fisheries, the Additional District Magistrate and representatives of local NGOs. After considering the positions of all present, the following decisions were taken: a detailed report on the situation would be prepared by a committee headed by the minister and comprising of representatives of all concerned departments, NGOs and local people genuinely interested / affected people would be accommodated by the Fisheries Department for fishing in alternative sites employment would be provided by the Revenue Department outside the National Park to the affected people under the Employment Guarantee Scheme affected people would be given priority over others inside the National Park for any departmental works. However local NGOs claim that the concerned authorities were apathetic and indifferent when they tried to follow-up on the above decisions. They issued a request to all interested to intervene in this matter. Subsequently in April 1998, Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia, met Forest Department officials and the State Planning Secretary in this regard and was assured by them that the commitments made will be honoured. However he felt that there should be timely and concerted effort by all parties involved to prevent the situation in Pench from becoming volatile. Source: Minutes of the meeting held on 27.10.98, prepared by Shree Bhagwan, Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Contact: Dinesh Gholse, General Secretary, Environment Global, Narasimha Bhavan, 7 Mount Road Extension, Sadar, Nagpur 440 00l, Maharashtra. Tel: 91-712-551 758, 548 276. Bittu Sahgal, (see GUJARAT above)
Radhanagari : BEAG vs INDAL The Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) had filed a writ petition (No. 959 dated 13.2.98) in the Bombay High Court against the Indian Aluminium Co. Ltd. (INDAL), challenging the mining activities sought to be undertaken by them at Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary. (See also JPAM Update 16 April 1998:5 'Mining at Radhanagari Sanctuary') When the matter came up for hearing in April this year, INDAL produced a letter enclosing a copy of the order signed by the Section Officer, Trade & Commerce Department, purporting to renew their lease for a period of 20 years, i.e. upto March 2018. However, the court in its judgement asked INDAL to restrain its proposed activities in the area. Subsequently BEAG filed two more writ petitions in the Bombay High Court on the following grounds: 1. that the entire area falls within the notified forest area and therefore no non-forest activity can be allowed without Central government permission. (In this case, not even the Maharashtra Forest Department had been consulted). 2. that the Section Officer has no powers under law to pass an order to grant / renew the mining lease, hence the order is bad in law and liable to be set aside. 3. despite the authorities being fully aware that a petition concerning mining activities was pending in court an order for renewal of lease was granted, which therefore is illegal. 4. that under the provisions of the Mines & Minerals Act of 1957, unless the area has been prospected earlier and the existence of mineral deposits been established, and until a mining plan duly approved by the Central government is submitted, no mining lease can be granted (the petitioners found there was no such mining plan for the area). These two petitions come up for final hearing on June 19 1998. Further developments will be reported in subsequent issues of the Update. (Also see 'The Fading Future of Radhanagari' by Neeraj Vagholikar, Sanctuary Asia Vol. XVIII No. 2 April 1998) Source: Press release by Debi Goenka, Bombay Environmental Action Group Contact: Debi Goenka, c/o Shyam Chainani, 9 St James Court, Marine Drive, Mumbai 400 020, Maharashtra Tel: 91-22-514 7574; Fax: 511 5810; Email: ADMIN@debi.ilbom.ernet.in (or) beag@axcess.net.in
Drive to rid Bhimashankar of plastic refuse Nisargavedh, a Pune-based NGO, has launched a drive to rid the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary of its problem of plastic waste. The problem has reached serious proportions with many animals (both domestic and wild) reported to have died as result of consumption of plastic. The plastic comes largely from the pilgrim and tourist traffic to the temple complex in the Sanctuary at the sacred spot of Gupt Bhima, believed to be the origin of the River Bhima. The source of the river is itself reported to be clogged with plastic. In the first part of the campaign, volunteers of Nisargavedh spent three days in the forest collecting. 25 sacks of plastic garbage, weighing nearly 100 kg. Following an awareness drive, shopkeepers in Bhimashankar have agreed to place rubbish bins in front of their shops and to request customers to discard plastic and other waste only in the bins provided. A Pune based industrialist has also supported the campaign and is producing publicity material to help Nisargavedh in sustaining its efforts. Source: 'Nisargavedh Launches Drive to Rid Bhimashankar of Plastic Refuse', Times of India 30 June 1998. Contact: Kiran Purandare, Tel: 91-212-337 344.
ORISSA Mass Hunt in Simlipal Hills Every year in Baisakh (April-May) groups of 50-500 Santhal tribals enter the Simlipal Tiger Reserve (Mayurbhanj district) and participate in an Akhand Shikar (a mass hunting ritual) The Reserve has an estimated 1,076 plant species of which 87 are orchids, 29 species of reptiles and 281 species of birds. While this event is an important part of Santhal tribal culture and of interest to anthropologists, several environmentalists have expressed concern about the damage they cause to the forests and wildlife. The tribals enter the forest in large numbers, set up shikar camps, start fires to trap animals and indiscriminately kill all animals except the tiger and the elephant. Various opinions have been expressed on the implications of this annual event. The Field Director of the Tiger Reserve, S.S. Srivastava, believes that this annual ritual causes irreparable damage to the biodiversity and many species may be pushed to the brink of extinction if the practice continued year after year. He suggests that the core area be made inviolate and free from human presence. Swagat Bose, a member of the Society for Advancement of Forestry and Environment brings out the human dimension of this problem by pointing out that the special needs of the tribals must first be addressed if you want to solve the problem of rampant poaching. G. Hebrom, Headman of the Birhor tribal community observes that tribals are so poor that they are compelled to fell trees and kill animals. At the rehabilitation colonies built by the government even basic facilities such as drinking water, health and schools are not provided. Since the people do not have any employment opportunities, they have no option but to carry on with the ways of their forefathers. At the Sabarnaghati Mankadia colony tribals were deprived of their only means of livelihood, i.e. making ropes from the Siali creeper. Today they have to trek more than 100 km to collect the creeper. Gurva Soren, Secretary of the Society for Research & Development of Tribal Culture, while sympathising with the tribal cause feels the need to educate the tribals on the need to conserve wildlife while Sonali Murmu, a social activist believes that "conservation cannot be tackled without first dealing with the human dimension of the problem." Source: Amarendra Bose, 'Who is the Hunter and Who the Hunted', Indian Express 4 May 1998.
Landmark Judgement on Bhitarkanika In a landmark judgement, the Orissa High Court disposing a public interest litigation case filed by WWF-India in July 1994, has asked the State government to evict all encroachers from the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. The court has also directed the State to declare an additional area of 672 km, including rivers and creeks, a Reserved Forest. No more land within the Sanctuary is to be leased out and all renewal of past leases is to be stopped forthwith. A division bench expressed serious concern over environmental degradation of the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary and has suggested the creation of a permanent body comprising of senior Central and State Forest Department officials, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Coast Guard and police representatives not below the rank of DIG, for protection of the area. The case highlighted widespread devastation of the Bhitarkanika mangrove forest both inside and outside the Sanctuary due to rampant conversion of the area into prawn farms by several business houses and illegal settlers. Source: Nageshwar Patnaik, 'Orissa HC Guards Wildlife Park', Economic Times 19 May 1998.
UTTAR PRADESH Road through Corbett Tiger Reserve A new 2.7 km metalled road is coming up in Corbett Tiger Reserve connecting Ramnagar with Patkot. It will cut through prime forests which include good tiger habitat and migratory corridors for elephants. The UP government has authorised this construction reportedly without seeking Central government approval, in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. Rs. 5 lakh of the total 15 lakh sanctioned, has already been released for the road. Nearly two dozen labourers have been working on the 20 m wide road, and by last account, had completed a 750 m stretch. Over 150 teak trees have been felled and part of a hill has also been cut through. According to The UP Forest Department, the go ahead for the road was given in mid-1996 on the insistence of the then Congress MP from Nainital, Narain Dutt Tiwari. During his election campaign he had promised local villagers a "proper" road to bypass the Bangla Jhala, a small stream less than 200 m wide which swells up during the monsoons. The road has been a long-standing demand of local villagers who boycotted the previous two elections in pursuit of this demand. The DFO Ramnagar Forest Division G.S. Pandey, also confirmed that the road will serve the villagers needs. When asked why permission from the MoEF was not sought he replied that permission was necessary only for conducting non-forestry activities. He felt that road building activity fell into the category of forest purposes as it would help the FD patrol the area better. However, according to the Corbett Foundation, an NGO working in the area, the road is completely dispensable. A proper road already exists, though it is 25 km longer, and buses ply on it from Ramnagar barrage to Patkot. There is also considerable doubt whether the new road would remain operational during the monsoons. Source: Bhavna Vij, 'Unauthorised Road Comes up in Corbett Park', Indian Express 1 April 1998.
Contact: Rajiv Bhartari, Deputy Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ramnagar 244 715, District Nainital, UP. Tel: 91-5945-85 489 / 85 332; Fax: 91-5945-85 376; Email: rajiv.bhartari@lead.sprintrpg.ems.vsnl.net.in Corbett Foundation, N 37, 1st floor, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110 017. Tel: 91-11-644 4016; Fax: 644 7564.
Local communities agitate against Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve In a letter dated 2 June 1998, the Gram Pradhan of Laata village of Chamoli District, UP, has declared that the local people of the area will forcibly enter the core zone of Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve if their greivances related to restrictions on access and use of resources are not looked into by the Forest Department. The letter highlights the state of conservation in the area since the establishment of the Nandadevi National Park and the subsequent declaration of the Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve. The letter alleges that while the people had to adapt their major occupations of agriculture and pastoralism to continue under a regime of restrictions, very little happened by way of conservation of wildlife in the area. Poaching and illegal medicinal plant collection are reported to be rampant; wildlife numbers have dropped especially bharal, monal and musk deer. The letter also appeals to the authorities to assist in safeguarding the natural assets of the area that the villagers also want to see conserved and not destroyed at the hands of outsiders. It asks for the management of the area to be handed over to local communities and that adequate compensation be paid for losses suffered over the last 16 years. The State government has been given an ultimatum that if the problems of local communities are not addressed and a plan formulated to involve them in management of the area, they will forcibly take over the administration of the area by July 15. Further developments will be reported in subsequent issues of JPAM Update. Source: Letter (dated 2 June 1998) from Dharamsinh Rana, Gram Pradhan, Laata village to MoEF and several departments of the UP government.
NATIONAL NEWS FROM INDIA
International Award for Indian Wildlifers Three Karnataka based wildlifers were recognised by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, for their outstanding contribution to conservation of wildlife and its habitat in India. The award winners are Thamoo Poovaiah of Madkeri, D.V. Girish of Chikmagalur and Praveen Bhargav of Bangalore. Thamoo Poovaiah and his associates are reported to have put up a dogged fight against timber exploitation in Kodagu district and promoted a humane and voluntary resettlement scheme for adivasis in Nagarhole National Park. Mr Girish and his group in Chikmagalur have been honoured for their fight to protect the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary from the ravages of irrigation projects and for their efforts in stalling timber and bamboo extraction in the Sanctuary. Mr Bhargav has been championing the cause of wildlife conservation in Karnataka through dedicated and persevering lobbying by his organisation Wildlife First. Source: J.N. Prasad, on nathistory-india@lists.princeton.edu. Contact: Merlin Nature Club, 13, 8th Cross, 30th Main, Sarakki ITI Layout, JP Nagar, I Phase, Bangalore 560 078 Email: avian@giasbg.vsnl.net.in. (Pl. mark all messages 'Attn. Prasad')
Simple Guide to the Wildlife Act Responding to a recommendation emerging from the Consultation on Wildlife Conservation and People's Livelihood Rights held last year at Alwar (see JPAM Update 14, August 1997), Sanjay Upadhyay, a Delhi-based freelance advocate, has prepared a draft "Guide to Legal Provisions Relating to National Parks and Sanctuaries", which will eventually be published by Kalpavriksh. Sanjay would be happy to provide the working draft on request, and would like your comments in order to make it a more user-friendly document. Specifically he would like comments on: your experiences in protected areas and understanding of legal provisions pertaining to notifications, wildlife rules, specific state laws that have been amended which impact protected areas, etc. Contact: Sanjay Upadhyay, B 39 Dainik Janyug Apartments, Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi 110 096. Tel: 91-11-247 7375; Fax: 247 4915; Email: upadhyays@hotmail.com
Second Consultation on Wildlife Conservation and People's Livelihood Rights Following up from the first Consultation on Wildlife Conservation and People's Livelihood Rights, held in April 1997, the second Consultation was organised at the ashram of the Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar district, Rajasthan. Over 50 people representing various conservation organisations, human rights activists, community-based organisations, government departments, scientific and academic institutions, participated in the three-day meeting. Amongst the major topics for discussion and action were: commercial threats to protected areas; the proposed amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act; the relationship between the Panchayati Raj legislation (including its extension to scheduled areas) and wildlife conservation; poaching problems; the WWF-India case in the Supreme Court regarding settlement of rights in protected areas. One significant difference between the First and Second Consultations was the presence, even though briefly, of the Director of Project Tiger, the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, and other government officers, all of whom expressed their support for a process of building bridges between those fighting for livelihood rights and those arguing the case of wildlife conservation. The Consultation resulted in the following: 1. A statement of common concern and decisions (a draft is in circulation to the participants, and will soon be finalised). 2. A decision to form a loose network of groups and individuals who will jointly respond to threats to protected areas and resident communities. (The network will be serviced from the editorial address of JPAM Update in Pune and will be handled by Pankaj Sekhsaria) 3. Identification of some 'test' cases for a start, to be taken up for joint action, including Melghat Tiger Reserve (roads, tribal development), Pench National Park (fishing), Kanha National Park (displacement); investigation of the settlement procedure initiated pursuant to WWF-India's case in the Supreme Court. 4. A joint letter to WWF-India expressing concern about the implications of its case regarding settlement of rights of people in protected areas all over India (see JPAM Update 15 January 1998:1), and seeking its co-operation in making the process of settlement more just and participatory. 5. A letter to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, seeking some clarifications regarding the proposed amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, and proposing some additional revisions. 6. A query to concerned authorities in government and to anthropologists and tribal rights activists, seeking clarification on the precise relationship between the Panchayati Raj laws, especially as extended to Scheduled Areas) These areas in the country also happen to have considerable government forests and protected areas. For copies of the statement / letters, contact: Ajay Dolke/Dinesh Gholse, 18/7 Ujwal Nagar, Wardha Road, Nagpur 440 025, Maharashtra Tel: 91-712-260 709; Email: aaasn@bom4.vsnl.net.in.
Rehabilitation Policy For Protected Areas As part of a draft national resettlement and rehabilitation policy which is currently under circulation, proposals have been mooted for special measures to rehabilitate people displaced from national parks and sanctuaries. These include the provision of control over or access to alternative forest resources, and measures to employ or involve affected people in the protected areas themselves, as far as possible. However, there is no mention of the conditions under which displacement would be seen to be necessary and desirable in the first place, nor of the need to ensure that forcible displacement would not take place. A policy decision to this effect has already been taken by Project Tiger (see JPAM Update 14 August 1997). For a copy of the drafts, contact: Ms. Savita, Under-secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India, Shastri Bhavan, New Delhi 110 001. For comments and other details, contact: Walter Fernandes, Indian Social Institute, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003 Tel: 91-11-462 2379; Fax: 469 0660; Email: walter@isid.unv.ernet.in. David, Project Officer, Oxfam (India) Trust, 19 Gazetted Officers Colony, West High Court Road, Post Box 71, Nagpur 440 001, Maharashtra. Tel: 91-715-533 737, 529 527; Fax: 533 737.
How many displaced by PAs? There appears to be no comprehensive estimate of the number of people physically displaced by protected areas in India. Walter Fernandes, of Indian Social Institute (ISI), and his colleagues estimated in 1989 that upto 600,000 persons may have been displaced from protected areas (Fernandes, W. & Thukral, E.G. 1989. eds. Development, Displacement and Rehabilitation, ISI, New Delhi). This figure is based on an extrapolation of some initial estimates available only for Project Tiger Reserves. It also appears to be based on the assumption that most people living inside protected areas would almost certainly have been evicted, but this has not necessarily happened in many cases. More recent figures released by the Director, Project Tiger, for Tiger Reserves alone, are between 13,000 and 23,000 persons. Jagdish Krishnaswamy of Duke University, who also made an estimate for Project Tiger areas, says that this concurs with figures he had estimated last year. Based on a nation-wide survey carried out at the Indian Institute of Public Administration a decade back (Kothari et al. 1989. Management of National Parks and Sanctuaries in India, IIPA, New Delhi), it was estimated that over 100,000 persons had probably been displaced from protected areas across the country. Given that Tiger Reserves and national parks are the primary sites for displacement (due to either greater administrative or legal attention), and taking the Project Tiger Director's figures as being representative, this figure may not be too far off the mark. Compared to the total displacement in India over the last few decades (some estimates put this at over 20 million people), protected areas represent a tiny fraction. This does not of course make the suffering of those displaced any less, nor does it in any way justify forced or induced displacement in future. And it does not include people who are "livelihood-displaced", i.e. those whose livelihood opportunities are reduced due to restricted access to resources within protected areas. Other readers may be able to shed more light on the estimates made above, and we would welcome a discussion on the subject.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEPAL Workshop on Collaborative Management of Protected Areas in Asia 11 Asian countries participated in a Workshop on Collaborative Management of Protected Areas, held at Chitwan National Park, Nepal, on May 25-28, 1998. The Workshop assessed the state of protected area management in relation to involving local communities and other stakeholders. The national and regional level requirements to strengthen this process were also discussed. Both government and non-government delegates from each country participated. Participants also discussed and finalised a proposal for a 5-year process to carry out the following: participatory action research at specified sites to understand the dynamics of co-management capacity building of various stakeholders through training and learning sessions sharing of information and experiences through personnel exchange influencing policy changes. A co-ordinating group will be taking this process forward. The workshop was organised by IUCN-Nepal, in association with the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, Nepal, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Nepal, IUCN-Sri Lanka, the World Commission on Protected Areas, and the Collaborative Management Working Group of the IUCN. Contact: Krishna Oli, IUCN-Nepal, PO Box 3923, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977-1-528 782; 528 761; Fax: 536786; Email: iucn@mos.com.np
BOTSWANA Last Bushmen in Kalahari Resist Eviction The Khwe, one of the San or Bushmen peoples are the original inhabitants of the Kalahari desert. In the 1960s the 52,000 sq km Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) was set up as haven for the indigenous community as well as for the animals they hunted. Another minority people, the Bakalagadi, lived in the south of the Reserve. Until 1997 about 1,000 people were resident in the area permanently, while another 2,500-3,000 used the Reserve intermittently. Since 1986 the Botswana government has had plans to move the Khwe and the Bakalagadi out of the CKGR. Two reasons were given: 1. to preserve wildlife and enhance the tourism potential of the Reserve, and 2. to rescue the indigenous people from their allegedly miserable life among animals and integrate them with the rest of Botswana society. Neither of these reasons adequately explains the efforts put into moving the people out. Many suspect other reasons altogether: the wish to exploit the large diamond deposits suspected to be in the Reserve and plans being made to lease out extensive parts of the Reserve for luxury tourism. In 1997, in the face of several world-wide protests, the government finally resettled the people to a new Xade settlement just outside the Reserve. Notwithstanding the government's denials, the residents claim that they were forcibly removed, even hoodwinked to leave, with possessions and livestock loaded onto trucks against their will. The new site has no water supply or permanent buildings, and life there is bleak. Since it is part of a "wildlife management area" the Khwe cannot hold title to the land and development is restricted. In June 1997 Khwe's own organisation, First People of the Kalahari, sent a letter to the Minister of Lands asking for a meeting to discuss their claim to the Reserve as indigenous inhabitants and to stop all removals until the claim had been resolved. The letter was ignored and removals went on. Recently however the negotiating team obtained a meeting with the outgoing President and have pressed for the following: the Botswana government should set up serious land claim talks with representatives of CKGR it should recognise and uphold the peoples right to the ownership of their land and resources the government should refrain from trying to move the remaining people out of the Reserve Those who have moved out should have the right to return. Source: Survival International, Urgent Action Bulletin Contact: Survival International, 11-15 Emerald Street, London WC1N 3QL, UK Tel: 44-171-242 1441; Fax: 242 1771; Email: survival@gn.apc.org.
RUSSIA Siberian Cranes Back Home! The lone pair of Siberian cranes that winter in Keoladeo National Park have safely returned to their nesting grounds near the Kurnovat river in western Russia. Sasha Sorokin, in-charge of the Co-ordination Program for Siberian Cranes in Russia has been monitoring these two birds in India and Russia since the early 1990's. In the winter of 1995-96, he was able to confirm that this was indeed the Keoladeo-Kurnovat pair after colour banding their chick on the nesting grounds in Russia and following the birds to India. This is now the only pair of Siberian cranes that are known to visit India. Last winter, they arrived in Keoladeo on the 17th of November, accompanied by one other adult Siberian crane. Three and a half months later, on 4th March they took off for their long and hazardous journey to their nesting ground in western Russia and are reported to have reached safely. Source: George Archibald of the International Crane Foundation in a message to Belinda Wright, WPSI. Contact: Belinda Wright, WPSI, Thapar House, 124 Janpath, New Delhi 110 001 Tel: 91-11-332 0573; Fax: 332 7729; Email: blue@nda.vsnl.net.in (or) wpsi@nde.vsnl.net.in.
SLOVAKIA Fourth Conference of Parties of the Biodiversity Convention The Fourth Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on Biological Diversity was held on 4-15 May, 1998, at Bratislava, Slovakia. Several hundred government delegates, observed by several hundred NGO and indigenous people's representatives, discussed issues ranging from in-situ conservation to biotechnological safety and patenting. Important decisions were taken on activities relating to forest, marine, agricultural and inland water biodiversity, access to genetic resources, sharing of benefits arising from the use of these resources, and other matters. One of the most significant outcomes was an agreement on the need for a working group on indigenous and local community knowledge / practices relating to biodiversity. If seriously carried out, the work programme of this group could have important bearing on the future relationship between protected areas and local communities. Contact: Biodiversity Convention Secretariat, World Trade Centre, 393, St. Jacques Street, Suite 300, Montreal H2Y 1N9, Quebec, Canada Tel: 1 514-287 7034; Fax: 288 6588; Website: www.biodiv.org/cop4/cop4docs.html (COP4 decisions can be downloaded from here).
WHAT'S AVAILABLE?
Anon. 1998. From Principles to Practice: Indigenous Peoples and Biodiversity Conservation in Latin America. Proceedings of the Pucallpa Conference, Pucallpa, Peru, 17-20 March 1997. IWGIA Document No. 87, International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, Copenhagen, pp 304. Price not stated. A compilation of interesting papers on the conservation and management of habitats and wildlife, including protected areas, by Latin America's indigenous communities. Contact: Forest Peoples Programme, 1C Fosseway Business Centre, Stratford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ, United Kingdom. Tel: 44-1608-652 983; Fax: 652 878; Email: wrm@gn.apc.org
Kirpekar, C.S. et al. 1994. Assessment Report, Project Tiger Melghat 1974-1994. Vidarbha Natural History Study Centre, Nagpur, 88 pp. Price not stated. Though now somewhat dated, this little-known document continues to be of relevance, as it is one of India's few detailed assessments of a protected area covering a period of 20 years. Contact: Vidarbha Natural History Study Centre, Nisargh Sewa Sangh, 509 Old Ramdaspeth, Nagpur 440 010, Maharashtra.
Srivastav, Aseem et al. Undated. Biodiversity Conservation: The Gir Way. Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Junagadh. Price not stated. Srivastav, Aseem and Patel, V.S. Undated. Resolving Conflicts Through Negotiation: A Case Study of Natalia Village around Gir Protected Area. Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Junagadh, pp 20. Price not stated. Srivastav, Aseem. Undated. Managing Conflicts: Options for Gir Protected Area. Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Junagadh, pp 15. Price not stated. These three documents provide details of the experience of the Gujarat Forest Department in implementing the ecodevelopment project in and around Gir National Park. Contact: Aseem Srivastav, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle, Junagadh 362 001, Gujarat Tel: 91-285-31 678, 30 051; Fax: 32 900.
Shramjeevi Unnayan. 1997. Bharatiya Lok Prashasan Sansthan dwara Dalma Abhayaranya sanyukt prabandhan ki sambhavanayen: Vishay tatha mahatvapoorn sujhav. Shramjeevi Unnayan, Bihar, pp 32. Price not stated. A Hindi version of the major results of the study on the possibilities of joint management of Dalma Sanctuary, Bihar, carried out by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. This study was carried out in association with local groups like Shramjeevi Unnayan, which has also produced this booklet. (See also: Dalma: Hope for a Beleaguered Forest, by K. Christopher and Ashish Kothari, Sanctuary Asia, Vol. XVIII No. 2, April 1998). Contact: Peoples Forester, Shramjeevi Unnayan, Gobarghusi, Patmada, District West Singhbhum, Bihar.
People's Plan for Preservation of Adivasi and Nagarhole Forests in Karnataka. Undated. Nagarhole Budakattu Janara Hakkustapana Samithi, pp 21. Price not stated. The challenge of preparing a 'peoples plan' for a protected area has not been taken up by many groups in India, though there has been much talk about the concept. The Samithi, a network of tribal groups in Karnataka, which successfully fought a legal battle against the proposed holiday resort, backed by the Taj group, at Nagarahole has done just this. Though thin in detail about their proposed alternatives, there are interesting suggestions on an institutional structure which would, in association with the Forest Department, manage the various zones of the Nagarahole National Park for wildlife conservation and livelihood security. Contact: Nagarhole Budakattu Janara Hakkustapana Samithi, Nagarhole, Virajpet Taluk, Kodagu District, Karnataka Tel: 91-8276-74 487; Fax: 74 091.
JPAM Update is produced every two months as a follow-up to the workshop on Exploring the Possibilities of Joint Protected Area Management (JPAM), organised at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, in September 1994. JPAM Update 17 was prepared by Ashish Kothari, Farhad Vania, Pankaj Sekhsaria and Yashodhara with assistance from Aanchal Kapur and Vidya . Ideas, comments, news and information may please be sent to the editorial address. Please note this is a mailing address only: Ashish Kothari Apartment 5, Shri Dutta Krupa 908 Deccan Gymkhana Pune 411 004 Maharashtra, India
Tel/Fax: 020-5654239 Email: ashish@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in
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Last modified on: Tue Apr 5 15:39:23 2005