Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, Devendra Fadnavis, has ordered an urgent study of the situation to be conducted under the guidance of experts, followed by the immediate implementation of special measures to avoid human casualties in tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district.

 

The plan should include compensating the families of those who have died in tiger attacks over the last five years, as well as relocating ‘excess’ tigers. The report is to be submitted within three months, Fadnavis asked. Fadnavis has taken serious note of the loss of lives in tiger attacks. As the Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, he responded swiftly to the concerns of the local residents and issued instructions for corrective action. Furthermore, he has directed that a plan be formulated under the guidance of Pravin Pardeshi, CEO of the Mitra Organisation. Accordingly, Pardeshi held a meeting with senior Forest officers in Nagpur to discuss the strategy and implement it. 

 

 

Over the past five years, more than 50 people have been killed in tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district. Notably, tiger attacks have occurred in Gadchiroli, Chamorshi, Armori, Wadsa and Dhanora areas. Based on the study of the situation in Gadchiroli, extra tigers should be relocated within three months. A meeting was held under the guidance of Pravin Pardeshi, to prepare the plan. Solutions were discussed, including the thinning of teak trees and increasing grassland coverage in Chaprala and Pranhita sanctuaries in Gadchiroli to support herbivores, which in turn would serve as prey for carnivorous animals. It was also decided to appoint forest patils in each village, similar to police patils. To prevent locals from having to enter the forest to gather wood, a plan to supply CBG gas through pipelines and use grass from farmers’ fields for CBG production was approved.

 

Additionally, the establishment of a CBG gas plant was decided. Other decisions included expediting compensation for crops damaged by wild animals, assessing the social and economic status of locals in six villages in Chaprala Sanctuary for relocation, and finding new areas for resettlement. Experts from organisations such as the Wildlife Institute, working on these issues, will also be appointed for further action.

 

There was also discussion about preparing a mitigation plan for high-risk and sensitive areas. It was noted that the tigers involved in human-wildlife conflict tend to be older, and there is a need for policy decisions regarding the relocation of such tigers. The meeting was attended by the Chief Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Force Chief) Shomita Biswas, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Vivek Khandekar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project Dr Ramchandra Ramgavkar, and Chief Conservator of Forests for Gadchiroli Forest Division S Rameshkumar, among others.