Bandipur Tiger Reserve - Mining Intruders

My last two posts have been stressed on our government’s failure in continuity management and here comes one more blow to worsen the situation.

The Karnataka State Government has approved 813sqkm of land for mining purpose which falls very close to Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in fact 11sqkm of the tiger reserve falls under the approved 813sqkm. Our state government says that they have granted these mining approvals keeping in mind not disturb any eco diversity of Bandipur. It is also said that the 11sqkm that falls under the reserve will be untouched and preserved.

Our leaders have forgotten that we are dealing with tigers that are territorial animals and the man-tigers interaction has been one of the major causes for decline in their numbers. And now the government wants us to believe that having a mining operation just 11sqkm far from the tiger reserve will keep man-tiger interaction minimal and would not disturb eco diversity.

Luckily thanks to the intervention of our new buzzing environment minister Mr.Jairam Ramesh who has asked for an explanation from the state government on the same. He has also reiterated the fact that “All proposals that will be initiated by companies following the decision of the state will have to get prior approval from The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Dear ministers would you prefer having a mining operation 10 to 20 km from your house with frequent dynamite blasts shaking your window panes and disturbing your lovely power naps that you guys enjoy. Well I don’t think so you would have a thumb’s up for this.

We have enough mines in Karnataka that can keep us rolling till the next century but we have very few tigers that might get extinct in a decades time, why not approve a few sqkm more as core-buffer zone and sanctuary and bring their numbers up than brining mining giants out there….?

Think and act, Help to increase the repository of the most valuable ecosystem and habitats for wildlife in Karnataka.

Tiger Vs Govt of India - 1

Project Tiger - 1973

Project Tiger Scheme has been under implementation since 1973 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India. Project Tiger is a wildlife Conservation movement initiated in India in 1972 to protect the Bengal Tiger's. The project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various bio geographical regions throughout India. It strives to maintain a viable population of this conservation reliant species in their natural environment.

Objective
The main objective of Project Tiger is to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific, economic, aesthetic , cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Main objectives under the scheme include wildlife management, protection measures and site specific eco-development to reduce the dependency of local communities on tiger reserve resources.

Initially, the Project started with 9 tiger reserves, covering an area of 16,339 sq.km., with a population of 268 tigers. At present there are 27 tiger reserves covering an area of 37761 sq.km., with a population of 1498 tigers. This amounts to almost 1.14% of the total geographical area of the country. The selection of reserves was guided by representation of eco-typical wilderness areas across the bio-geographic range of tiger distribution in the country. Project Tiger is undisputedly a custodian of major gene pool. It is also a repository of some of the most valuable ecosystem and habitats for wildlife.

Tiger Reserves are constituted on a 'core-buffer' strategy. The core area is kept free of biotic disturbances and forestry operations, where collection of minor forest produce, grazing, human disturbances are not allowed within. However, the buffer zone is managed as a ‘multiple use area’ with twin objectives of providing habitat supplement to the spill over population of wild animals from the core conservation unit, and to provide site specific eco-developmental inputs to surrounding villages for relieving their impact on the core. Except for the National Parks portion if contained within, normally no relocation of villages is visualized in the buffer area, and forestry operations, NTFP collection and other rights and concessions to the local people are permitted in a regulated manner to complement the initiatives in the core unit.

Project Tiger has put the tiger on an assured course of recovery from the brink of extinction, and has resurrected the floral and faunal genetic diversity in some of our unique and endangered wilderness ecosystem. The population of tigers in the country has increased significantly to about 4000 from less than 2000 at the time of launch of the project.

My Views

The graph above shows the total area allocated and increased over a span of 25 years in India. The increase has been up to 101% from the time Project Tigers was implemented.More core-buffer zones and conservation areas have been added up, but what really shocks me the again is in 1970’s with 1500sqkms area we had 1200 tigers and by the start of this millennium with 37761sqkm area we are only left with 1400 odd tigers.

Again where are we going wrong?

As told earlier the problem lies in the root level of conservation management. We still follow orthodox conservation management which lacks technology, equipments, knowledge and research. Our country might be the first in the world to introduce or implement any new ventures but I find it very difficult to say that it equally exhibits a very laid back approach when it comes to basic operations and continuity management.

*** I Thank the Project Tiger and NIC for the above mentioned statistics.

Wake up India....

For a multi-million dollar cricket tournament in jeopardy - A whole nation stood by

Charming young politician visits a city - A whole police force stood by

A national superstar in trouble - A whole tabloid stood by

The last trail of our national animal is diminishing - There are hardly a few hands raised to count.......

Its very disturbing every time I see an advert on the TV which keeps reminding that we are left with a few thousand tigers. It hurts me even more to say that the measure taken by our nation to increase or conserve tiger counts has been very minimal and unnoticeable. There are a very few efforts like the Project Tiger and some conservation reserves that have been established for tiger welfare which have reached the saturation levels in their own cycle.

Yes a few things like an advertisement, corporate campaigns, chats, celebrity endowments and blogs have started making their efforts towards this fight, but how effective you think it can be? To an extent it can create awareness and join up people for a single cause and keep the struggle live. The problem lies in the root level where our tigers reside. If there is only one way to increase our tiger counts it has to be from the root level and that too with the best conservation practices, a strong govt/federal bill and class of art technology

We as a country, lack on the technology to track, monitor, guard and protect our tigers.Where are sophisticated satellite navigated tracking mechanisms and where are our very own 40 - 50 old guards with a double barrel guns & latti.

Things have changed over the past few decades. There must be more funds allocated to make more research on conservation and guarding techniques. New, young and enthusiastic researches must be given more encouragements in terms of support and financial funding. Tiger’s conservation must be taken up as election agenda by the political parties in their manifesto and also compulsory work on them if elected.

Well that’s it for now…Keep me posted on your views