Huts for tiger protection staff outside Pench
| Date :02-Aug-2020 |
By Ramesh Marulkar :
Forest Department to construct 20 huts
Each hut will accommodate a Forest Guard and four forest labourers engaged in foot patrolling
Territorial Division of Forest Department, Nagpur, is launching a scheme for constructing protection huts and deploying staff for foot patrolling in jungle outside Pench Tiger Reserve in Paoni, Deolapar and Ramtek Forest Ranges on the lines of Wildlife Wing in Protected Areas. The department has constructed two protection huts at Kharpada and Pendkapar in Paoni Range, six in Deolapar Range, and two huts are proposed in new Ramtek. A recent visit to Kharpada protection hut in Paoni unified area, from where buffer of Pench Tiger Reserve is situated two km away, revealed that the protection huts were constructed for providing security to staff monitoring movement of tigers and other wild animals.
The staff moves through this corridor from Pench to Navegaon-Nagzira and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves. Two tigresses with cubs are also moving in the nearby buffer of Pench and Kharpada jungle. Hence, staff members with M-Stripe software from Holland can monitor and also keep a vigil on them. At present, field staff members from Paoni Range are monitoring and patrolling this sensitive area for providing safety to carnivores. The division is taking steps for habitat improvement and providing other facilities for better wildlife management. Being important tiger corridor, the department has constructed protection huts, each costing Rs eight lakh.
It will post one Forest Guard plus four forest labourers there for undertaking foot patrolling in the area of 10-12 km daily either in morning or evening, as is done in the Protected Areas such as tiger reserves, national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. Four persons will be on the round while one labourer will halt at the hut having facilities of kitchen, room, utensils, toilet, kitchenware, torch, drinking water etc. So far, the Territorial Division has not deployed the field staff at these huts, but it will do so shortly once necessary funds are made available, said Dr Prabhu Nath Shukla, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Nagpur, while talking to ‘The Hitavada’. The division has planned to construct 20 such protection huts after conducting a meeting with representatives of NGOs. The department received Rs 70 lakh through district plan as well as from CAMPA and Centrally-sponsored schemes.
The scheme is being implemented through Vyagrha Mitra in the villages, who will undertake foot patrolling. They will collect information about movements of tigers, keep watch on suspects moving in the area till staff members are appointed at the huts. Inter-State border is situated after Deolapar, where cases of electrocuting wild animals occur. The staff will also check such activities, Dr Shukla said. Sandip Giri, Assistant Conservator of Forest; Ritesh Bhongade and S G Parihar, both Range Forest Officers, were present during the visit. Parseoni Forest Range to be restructured Parseoni Forest Range will be closed soon as Forest Department is restructuring it.
A major portion of jungle from Territorial Division has been transferred to Wildlife Wing for Pench and now it is left with only 2,000 hectares of area. The department is reshuffling boundary and include this remaining portion in Ramtek Range, informed Dr Prabhu Nath Shukla. It is not viable to keep staff for just 2,000 hectares of area. The division has submitted a proposal to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Head of Forest Force) for absorbing one Range Forest Officer and one Round Officer elsewhere. The reorganisation is being done for better management and giving proper and sufficient work to the field officers. Parseoni Range will be closed down in a month or two, Shukla added.