Nature Conservation in India News & Discussion

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 03 Jan 2011 03:06

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 207835.cms

In a bid to end the logjam over new mines in 'no-go' zones, the coal ministry has suggested that companies which get mining rights should spend a portion of their net profit on afforestation.

Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal also told TOI his ministry was ready to give an undertaking that it would ensure 2.5 to 3 times forest cover for every one square kilometre of area used for coal mining.

"We will give this undertaking and we will ensure that adequate forest cover is created and there is least damage to the environment," Jaiswal said.

The coal ministry has sought cabinet approval for allowing mining in 203 coal blocks which come under the so-called 'no-go' zones of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). The MoEF grants environment clearance for these areas and mining is not allowed in these zones.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 09 Jan 2011 21:08

this UNEP affiliated organization plant a tree for Rs. 50=00 only.

go to

www.grow-trees.com

greet someone for a birthday, anniversary, or special occasion;
offset carbon emissions from daily activities;
and thereby gift flowers, fruit, fodder and fuel to communities and living creatures

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 14 Jan 2011 09:25

Good News

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy ... 090122.ece

Regional chiefs for tiger conservation

In an effort to decentralise tiger conservation in the country, the government has created four posts in the rank of Inspector General of Forests for three regional offices, as well as the headquarters, of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

This move is expected to help in “closer monitoring at the regional level” of the conservation efforts in the 39 tiger reserves located in 17 tiger states.

The Union Cabinet approved the decision on Thursday. The three regional offices will be located in Nagpur, Guwahati and Bangalore.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 15 Jan 2011 07:11

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... gle-mother

The Long Walk of a Single Mother
It is a reckless script gone so horribly wrong that a happy ending is unbelievable, if not impossible. A desperate mother seeking shelter far from her forest home in the fields to save her two cubs from murderous males; villagers living the terror of running into big cats amid standing crop they cannot afford to abandon; forest ground staff trying hard to avert conflict that could end all hope for the tiger family. This could well be a tragedy of circumstance but for the villains of the piece

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 15 Jan 2011 07:14

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... -crouching

Taking note of the report Crouching Tourists, Hidden Tiger (Open, 6 December 2010), Environment and Forests minister Jairam Ramesh has shot off a letter to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, requesting his “personal intervention…for preventing the Kankwari fort from being put to use for tourism”.

In the report published in Open, Rajasthan’s Chief Wildlife Warden HM Bhatia admitted that the fort renovation was funded by the state tourism department. “Our policy is to promote eco-tourism. We do not allow people to stay inside forests, but we will work out an arrangement keeping the safety of tourists and the security of wild animals in mind,” he said.

In his letter dated 2 December, Ramesh wrote: “It is learnt that the said fort has been restored with support from the tourism department, perhaps with a view to foster tourist visitation/stay. This is a matter of serious concern as it violates the norms of inviolate space. The government of India has been providing considerable central assistance (100 per cent under Project Tiger) for making the core area inviolate through village relocation. The core areas been to be kept inviolate as per Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and hence, tourism activities need to be strictly regulated, with a view to foster them in a passed manner in the buffer area. Hence, I request tour personal intervention in this regard for preventing the Kankwari fort from being put to use for tourism.”

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 15 Jan 2011 07:16

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... hed-to-die

What do you do when you cannot save the tigers in your custody? In Rajasthan, you blame the tiger. So when the rotten carcass of the first of five tigers translocated to repopulate Sariska was found this Sunday, the officials were quick to explain the death as a result of infighting.

In fact, the reintroduction drive in Sariska started under Rajesh Gupta, an able officer who was specially brought in from Bharatpur for the purpose. Within months, the staff revolted against his tough work ethics and he was shunted out. From that point, the management continued to slide as top posts either remained unoccupied or were filled up with officers least interested in field work. The present director K K Garg runs Sariska from his Alwar office 30 km away and many old-timers who were suspended after the 2004 debacle are back on duty.

But such anomalies are not unusual in a state that refuses to budge even after the union ministry repeatedly urges its chief minister to stop mining around Sariska. As the tug-of-war continues, the number of mines inexplicably doubles up from 32 to 68.

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... h-kindness

The latest tragedy from Ranthambore, the death of a three-and-a-half-year-old male tiger, did not make big headlines. After all, the death was the result of infighting: male tigers often engage in mortal territorial battles. So the forest department decreed that the T36 male died a natural death.

Or did he?

The story goes back roughly two years. In September 2008, Ranthambore’s famed Guda tigress died of suspected poisoning, leaving two sub-adult cubs. The forest department dragged its feet over investigating the poisoning, but helped the cubs promptly, then about 16 months old. Since then, T36 male and his sister T37 have been enjoying routine baits handed out by well-meaning officials.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 20 Jan 2011 15:32

Himachal's aloe vera crop: In comes money, out goes monkey

http://www.sify.com/finance/himachal-s- ... djceg.html

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Jan 2011 21:59

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/world ... ml?_r=1&hp

KODINAR, India — Amit Jethwa had just left his lawyer’s office after discussing a lawsuit he had filed to stop an illicit limestone mine run by powerful local politicians. That is when the assassins struck, speeding out of the darkness on a roaring motorbike, pistols blazing. He died on the spot, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. He was 38.

His objective was to stop illegal quarries near the Gir National Park, 550 square miles of scrubland and deciduous forest near his hometown, along the southern coast of Gujarat, India’s most prosperous state. The preserve is the only remaining habitat of the rare Asiatic lion. The animal is featured on the national emblem of India, and is considered by Hindus to be a sacred incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

But the forest sits in a mineral-rich area of coastal Gujarat dotted with cement factories that churn out building materials to fuel India’s near double-digit economic growth. The limestone that lies just beneath the soil in and around the Gir Forest is an ideal component of cement. By law, the forest and a three-mile boundary around it are off limits to all mining activity. But quarries the size of several football fields have been cut deep into the earth in the protected zone.

This mining has had serious consequences not only for the forest preserve, but also for water used for drinking and farming. The thirsty limestone is a natural barrier between seawater and fresh groundwater. A recent state government report concluded that limestone mining had allowed seawater to flow into the aquifer, causing an “irreversible loss.”

Balu Bhai Socha, an environmental advocate who worked with Mr. Jethwa, said the pace of mining rapidly increased as the local economy boomed.

“The speed with which the illegal mining was going on, we realized, within 10 years they will clean out the whole forest,” Mr. Socha said.

Mr. Jethwa repeatedly filed information requests to unearth the names of those operating the mines and to see what action had been taken against them. He discovered there were 55 illegal mines in and around the preserve. One name stood out among the records of land leases, electricity bills and inspection reports: Dinubhai Solanki, a powerful member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs Gujarat.

Mr. Solanki, who had risen from the State Legislature to Parliament, was a local kingmaker and an imperious presence. He had the backing of the local police and bureaucrats, activists here said. Mr. Jethwa and many others suspected that he was the mastermind and principal beneficiary of the illegal mining operation.

In February 2008, Mr. Jethwa was attacked by a gang of men on motorbikes. He was beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalized. He immediately suspected Mr. Solanki.

“If someone attacks me, or kills me in an accident, if my body is injured — for these acts the Kodinar MLA Dinu Solanki will be responsible,” he wrote in a letter to Gujarat’s chief minister, Narendra Modi, after the attack.

“I cautioned him several times about the danger,” the elder Mr. Jethwa said. “But he used to say: ‘Forget that you have three sons and say you have two sons. Let me do my work.’ He would say, ‘My religion is rule of law.’ ”

Mr. Jethwa’s information requests found sheaves of correspondence between forestry officials and local bureaucrats showing that despite repeated efforts to shut down the mines, the practice continued.

By last June, he felt that he had amassed enough evidence to file a lawsuit to stop the mining. He filed the papers on June 28. On July 20, late at night, he was gunned down, leaving behind a wife and two children.

Because of his activism and the place where he died, practically on the doorstep of the state high court, political pressure forced an unusually swift investigation. Detectives used cellphone records to link Shiva Solanki, the nephew of Dinubhai Solanki, to the killing, and he has been charged with conspiracy and murder. He is accused of hiring a contract killer to murder Mr. Jethwa.

But few people believe that Shiva Solanki, who works for his uncle, could have carried out and paid for a contract killing on his own.

Anand Yagnik, a prominent human rights lawyer in Gujarat, said that the police had made no effort to investigate Mr. Solanki.

“The message that has gone out is that if you resort to your right to information to try to harass a political person, even after your murder, that man will go scot-free,” Mr. Yagnik said, seated below a portrait of Gandhi in his basement law office in Ahmedabad.

The police did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the investigation into Mr. Jethwa’s death. Mr. Solanki told reporters at his office here that because the case was under investigation he would not answer questions.

“You are welcome to sit here, have a cup of tea,” he said. “I will not say a word.”

Mr. Jethwa’s death has sent a chill through the community of activists here. Mr. Socha, the environmental activist, said that he now thought twice before challenging powerful interests and that he wondered if the risks were worth it.

“Our hearts are broken after his death,” Mr. Socha said. “You cannot fix the system. Everybody is getting money. If I give my life, what is the point?”

the death of hope for a just society???

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 27 Jan 2011 10:25

Bamboo in bloom triggers famine fears

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 369230.cms

The coming summer could be a bit hot in the forest fringe of wayanad, Niligiris and Bandipur

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 28 Jan 2011 05:53

Jairam Ramesh on Thursday re-opens second home for lions controversy

He said he was aware that the Asiatic lions were a proud possession of Gujarat and the State was not willing to share it with any other State, but it was “too risky” to keep them all in one place. A proposal to spare at least five lions for the proposed second sanctuary was made to Gujarat several years back and the issue was also taken to the level of the Supreme Court but the State government had refused to accept the suggestion stating that it was taking all necessary steps to protect the species in its only abode, including checking the threat of poaching.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 30 Jan 2011 17:57

http://flonnet.com/stories/20110211280309300.htm

A NUMBER of mega projects along the Konkan coast in Maharashtra are under public scrutiny. The most recent reason for this is the amendment to the rules governing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The rules originally prohibited the setting up of big industries on the coast. The amended version permits them, primarily because of the convenience of transportation by sea. The nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Rajapur taluk of Ratnagiri district has also drawn public attention to the region.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 06 Feb 2011 07:53

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/ ... 2011-01-24

New discoveries about the genetic diversity in cheetahs and probable impact on their re-introduction in India...

The conventional wisdom about cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) is wrong, according to new discoveries that could have wide-ranging impacts on conservation of the world's fastest land animal.

First of all, the long-held belief that cheetahs had little genetic variation throughout their range appears to be false. A study published January 8 in Molecular Ecology reveals that cheetahs in Asia—specifically Iran—are a subspecies that separated from their African cousins 30,000 to 70,000 years ago. The last 100 or so Iranian cheetahs, now dubbed A. j. venaticus, should be considered a conservation priority, the authors of the paper concluded.

Meanwhile, the two African cheetah subspecies (A. j. soemmeringii in the continent's north and A. j. jubatus in its south) are also further apart genetically than previously believed.

Speaking of relocation, India is slowly moving forward on its plan to reintroduce cheetahs to that country. India's ministry of forest and environment has chosen two sites for reintroduction, but locals protested that the cats could be a danger to people, tourism and the oil industry. But R. K. Ranjitsinh, chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India, disagrees, telling The Times of India that "bringing the cheetah to the Shahgarh Bulge will not affect tourism or oil exploration in the region." India's original plan was to source cheetahs from multiple locations, including Iran, but that might need to be revisited now that the new subspecies has been recognized.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 299829.cms

The ministry of forest and environment, after a survey by the Wildlife Trust of India, had chosen Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi in Madhya Pradesh and the Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer district for reintroducing the cat, now extinct in the country.

However, while MP has already given its nod, in collaboration with a special task force, is preparing an eco-restoration plan and the budget for the next three years, Rajasthan is undecided.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for the Madhya Pradesh government for Project Cheetah which is going ahead with preparation to import the animal. But divisions in the Rajasthan forest department as to whether it should be brought in at all to the state has held up the proposal here.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 10 Feb 2011 06:00

Maggot infestation kills tigress in the Ranthambhore National Park

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 11 Feb 2011 17:03

^^ Last I read the story, she had 2 cubs, and the authorities are trying to locate them.

Oh thank God.

Two cubs of T-5 tigress spotted in Ranthambore

The two cubs of T-5, which died in Ranthambore on Wednesday, have been spotted by forest department officials on Thursday.

Both cubs are in good health and are spotted on a hilltop, officials said. "They consumed some dressed meat and water. But when we tried to catch them, they ran way. We will not be chasing them now as it might scare them away from the area and make it more difficult to catch them. We will wait for them instead," a forest official said.

"We have designed a special cage for the cubs in which we hope to keep them after we catch them. But plans thereafter are yet to be framed," state chief wildlife warden H M Bhatia said.

He said the department is in consultation with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to take care of the cubs, which have also been caught by a trap camera.

R N Mehrotra, principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest forces, however, ruled out the possibility of keeping the cubs in a zoo. "There is no point keeping them in a zoo. It has been ruled out," he said.

Officials said the best place for the cubs would be the already existing enclosure at the Sariska reserve. "Safety of the cubs is our prime concern and Sariska promises to be a better place for them than Ranthambore. We will hand raise them for some years in a protected cage. After that whether we leave them in Sariska or bring them back to Ranthambore will be decided," an official said.

According to the Daily Pioneer:

‘Lack of medicare’ killed Ranthambore tigress

Raising doubts on the serious lapses in tracking and monitoring the wounded tigress, experts feel improper medical attention provided by the park officials caused the lactating big cat’s death. The tigress is believed to have died due to massive haemorrhage in organs around the stomach. Its intestines were found to be blocked with hardened scat.

The tigress (T-5) was suffering from deep wounds below her tail which got infected by maggots. Ironically, the park officials did not discover the serious condition of the feline, but State Tourism Minister Beena Kak accidentally spotted the limping tigress with a powerful camera.

Experts have questioned the sheer negligence of the park officials in keeping tabs on the condition of the big cat. “Neither were they aware of the life-threatening wound of the tigress, nor did they know the whereabouts of the three-month-old cubs,” they said.

Sources said the tigress recently had a fight with another tigress (T-17), leading to the injury.

PK Sen, noted tiger conservationist and former Director of Project Tiger, minced no words in flaying the way the injured tigress had been handled. “How can a lactating tigress with two cubs be tranquilised and operated upon? This is certainly not proper wildlife management,” he said.

Nature has its own powers of healing, the tiger should have been left on its own, in such cases the animals normally lick the wound and clear them of maggots, he pointed out.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 16 Feb 2011 05:27

The swimming camels of Kutch!

Quite incredible if the story is true. Traditionally camels used in Indian warfare had this disadvantage of not being strong swimmers and becoming helpless in crossing deep rivers.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 16 Feb 2011 06:06

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/ ... 2011-02-14

Four new "vulture restaurants" have opened in India to provide the critically endangered and ecologically important birds with food that won't kill them.

One proven way to help vultures is to open up "restaurants" for the birds, protected sites where they can be fed diclofenac-free meat. Of the four new restaurants recently opened in India, one is in the state of Maharashtra and three are in Punjab.

"We buy the carcasses—of anything from dead buffaloes, cows and bulls to other animals—from villagers and place them on bricked platforms with boundary walls at these restaurants," Punjab wildlife ranger Ramesh Chander told The Indian Express. This provides the birds with safe places to eat as well as to nest and breed. The three sites in Punjab are all near fresh water, so the birds can bathe themselves after their messy meals.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 18 Feb 2011 11:06

There are stories of man eating leapords, tigers and lions. Are there any instances of man eating cheetah/s?

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 18 Feb 2011 15:40

Murugan wrote:There are stories of man eating leapords, tigers and lions. Are there any instances of man eating cheetah/s?

Not that I heard off, they are too light to take on a normal adult Human and they have highest rate amoung Big cats taking thier normal prey. Even amoung Leopards, man eaters are more often males as females weigh a bit less too easily kill a nd drag Adult Humans to cover, for Tigers and Lions they can kill a man very easily.

biswas · Post by **biswas** » 18 Feb 2011 20:32

^ Real men fight, kill and eat maneaters with their bare hands and become maneatereaters.

My grandfather had killed a cheetah that was attacking people in his village in modern day BD, we somehow got one of the canine teeth through customs and we still have it here. So in extreme cases I think it's possible.

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 19 Feb 2011 05:02

* The Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill: The bill seeks to amend the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.
32 measures to come in budget session, Lokpal Bill unlikely
http://news.oneindia.in/2011/02/18/32me ... d0126.html

‘To save farmers, stop land acquisition, seed patents’
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/to-sa ... ts/748566/

Posco: Orissa to begin land acquisition soon
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 400694.cms

Kaasan villagers file case against land acquisition
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 517962.cms

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 23 Feb 2011 14:15

biswas wrote:^ Real men fight, kill and eat maneaters with their bare hands and become maneatereaters.

My grandfather had killed a cheetah that was attacking people in his village in modern day BD, we somehow got one of the canine teeth through customs and we still have it here. So in extreme cases I think it's possible.

Are you sure it was Cheetah and not a Leopard? Cause there is no historical evidence for the presence of Cheetah's in Present day BD for many hundreds of years. Besides Cheetah's don't have long canines like Tigers, Lions and Leopards.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 23 Feb 2011 14:16

West Bengal minister wants to auction wild animals

Pray, why does our country produce such inteeligent politicians.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 23 Feb 2011 17:40

biswas, the cheetah is a grassland predator - not a forest dweller, so is unlikely to be living in the ganges delta region. also, i believe in several indian languages, including bengali, cheetah is the misnomer given to leopards. re maneating tendencies - possible but highly unlikely. A large male cheetah could bring a human down, but tends to be timid and will not tackle humans. that said, under some circumstances, e.g. extreme hunger, children may be at risk. leopards have few such qualms - they will take on anything under the right conditions. there is a great documentary of a single male baboon putting three male cheetahs to flight, and then a single female leopard running off a troupe of 40-50 baboons.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 25 Feb 2011 16:06

Kumki elephant gored to death

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 02 Mar 2011 05:36

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 606695.cms

A friend of the Tiger passes on.... May he rest in peace.

India's best known tiger conservationist Fateh Singh Rathore, whose name became synonymous with Project Tiger, died of cancer at his home in Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday at age 72. A former field director of Ranthambore National Park, Rathore's cancer of the lung had spread to his ribs and the end came around 10:45am.

''Doctors found his cancer had spread in January. Since then we've been treating him at various hospitals. About a week back, realising that he won't survive, Fatehji said he wanted to spend his last days among the hills and forests in Ranthambore. So he was brought here,'' said an associate in Sawai Madhopur.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 08 Mar 2011 09:44

Rajasthan mulls national park in Kumbhalgarh

It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them. The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Ajmer districts. The combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears, deer and rabbits.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 08 Mar 2011 12:29

Airavat wrote:Rajasthan mulls national park in Kumbhalgarh

It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them. The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Ajmer districts. The combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears, deer and rabbits.

That sounds nice although I don't know what kind of protection they will get in Kumbhalgarh. Have been to the fort but not to the adjoining WS but have heard many good things about it - wolves for one!

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 08 Mar 2011 14:55

Once declared National Park the place will get all sorts of protection.

Many sanctuaries are waiting to be declared NPs.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 08 Mar 2011 15:14

(a 3 day) Crucial meeting on tiger conservation begins tomorrow (9th March 2011)

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy ... epage=true

A crucial meeting of tiger conservation experts is slated to begin here from Wednesday to chalk out a plan for conservation of the elusive wildcat, officials said.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh is also expected to participate in the three-day meeting that is being organised by Uttarakhand forest department and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at Ramnagar near Jim Corbett National park, Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) R.K. Mishra said.

Some experts from United States will also participate in the meeting, he added.

The participants of the meeting would first study the different aspects related to Corbett Park and later give their recommendations for the conservation of tiger, he said.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 08 Mar 2011 16:23

Airavat wrote:Rajasthan mulls national park in Kumbhalgarh

It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them. The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Ajmer districts. The combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears, deer and rabbits.

These 2 are the same species.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 08 Mar 2011 16:44

Murugan wrote:Once declared National Park the place will get all sorts of protection.

Many sanctuaries are waiting to be declared NPs.

Only budget is more for an NP compared to a WS (centre gives funds for an NP), protection is a function of official will and competent officers, nothing else.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 09 Mar 2011 05:26

http://flonnet.com/stories/20110325280606400.htm

Elephant conservation receives a holistic nationwide attention...

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 16 Mar 2011 09:31

merlin wrote:
Murugan wrote:Once declared National Park the place will get all sorts of protection.

Many sanctuaries are waiting to be declared NPs.
Only budget is more for an NP compared to a WS (centre gives funds for an NP), protection is a function of official will and competent officers, nothing else.

Once a forest declared NP, no 'developmental' activities can take place. the officers get well equipped, legally and materialy. to use the resources is of course depends on will but NP is better than sanctuary. All existing sanctuaries should be converted into NPs and all open forest into sanctuaries at once

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 16 Mar 2011 09:41

By the way:

National Park: "The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 empowers the state governments to consitute national parks. it states, "whenever it appears to the state that government that an area whether within a sanctuary or not is by reason of its ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological or zoological association or importance needed to be constituted as a national park for the purpose of propogating or developing wildlife therein or its environment, it may by notification declare its intention to constitute such an area as a national park."

Wildlife Sanctuaries: "The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 empowers the state governments to constitute an area into a sanctuary after following the prescribed procedure for enquiry and hearings in the existing rights and concessions if any. This act states, the state government may by notification declare any area to be a sanctuary if it considers that such area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife and its envionment."

Biosphere Reserves: "Biosphere reserves are protected areas of respective terrestrial, coastal and marine environments that have been internationally recognized for their value in conservaton and in providing scientific knowledge, skills and human values to support sustainable development."

- from Handbook of National Parks, Sanctuaries And Biosphere Reserves in India by S.S. Negi

***

How to/Who can Declare a Sanctuary or a National Park : Procedures
http://envfor.nic.in/legis/wildlife/wildlife1c4.html

***

Once declared NP, people can enter notified areas with valid tickets.

* this will boost revenue generation for forest departments
* generation of employment
* general public will get more info on importance of protecting environment
* illegal poaching under protection of being sanctuaries will reduce
* will boost domestic/international tourism

The only concession to be made is to allow tribals/local people to stay in the NP. then train them as guides, forest produce gatherer, guards etc. such acts will involve these people in protection who otherwise will become poachers and criminals.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 16 Mar 2011 13:30

Look I know the theory but in practice its not the same. Legally an NP is not supposed to have human settlements inside. Check how many so-called NPs still have it. NPs carry prestige and enhanced legal protection but things on the ground determine the true status.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 16 Mar 2011 16:11

Further:

Once declared NP, people can enter notified areas with valid tickets.

* this will boost revenue generation for forest departments
* generation of employment
* general public will get more info on importance of protecting environment
* illegal poaching under protection of being sanctuaries will reduce
* will boost domestic/international tourism

The only concession to be made is to allow tribals/local people to stay in the NP. then train them as guides, forest produce gatherer, guards etc. such acts will involve these people in protection who otherwise will become poachers and criminals.

It is wrong policy of GoI that they try to unsuccessfuly dislodge the people who are living in forests for centuries. Instead of engaging them in protection of their own habitat and provide them a much deserved employement in the forest, they are driven out. the law must be changed and/or alternatively govt should rehabilitate in the periphery of the forest as in the case of resettlement of maldharis of gir.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 16 Mar 2011 16:21

Murugan wrote: It is wrong policy of GoI that they try to unsuccessfuly dislodge the people who are living in forests for centuries. Instead of engaging them in protection of their own habitat and provide them a much deserved employement in the forest, they are driven out. the law must be changed and/or alternatively govt should rehabilitate in the periphery of the forest as in the case of resettlement of maldharis of gir.

Same Shoe does not fit all areas, in some yes it is wrong to through out people who have been forests for centuries, but recently a lot people have taken forest areas in the last 40-100 years and used by various NGO ( lobbies for mining companies) against areas becoming national parks.

Also, Tradional Tribals doing non traditional cattle/livestock and rice farming has been a disaster for conservation, in some National parks poachers have got access through Tribals.

In critical Tiger habitats if we want Tiger to survive we have to move Tribals to the preiphery with proper sources of employment and compensation and welfare schemes.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Mar 2011 16:24

absolutely - involve the locals in habitat protection and management and provide them with economic means of livlihood and advancement

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 16 Mar 2011 20:22

Also, Tradional Tribals doing non traditional cattle/livestock and rice farming has been a disaster for conservation, in some National parks poachers have got access through Tribals.

this happens because the archaic law do not allow tribals to collect forest produce and sell them. they are harrassed by various agencies, sometimes just for few hundred grams of tree gum. thus, to find employment, earn money they become criminal gangsters/member of poaching gang etc. new laws are being formed which will enable tribals to collect forest produce and sell them in open market. this may solve the problem.

If we make the tribals the stakeholders (they must be made, naturally, it is their first right) in protection, conservation and expansion of forest, the scenario will change dramatically.

It will be a win-win situation for tribals, forest, wildlife, govt, and people in general.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Mar 2011 20:29

in botswana, namibia and south africa - there have been concerted efforts made to provide employment to San (bushmen) people as game wardens and official trackers to both manage wildlife and be tourist guides. the San community were almost on the edge of extinction not so long ago, this is really helping bring them back into the mainstream and preserve their unique knowledge of the habitat and wildlife - and its good news for the wildlife too (no poaching or poisoning by land owning farmers, etc.)