Exclusive space for tigers soon

[Guest guest]

A new rehabilitation package for people to be relocated from tiger

reserves and the guidelines for government to declare 'inviolate

areas' — an exclusive area for the tigers free of human presence —

are on the anvil.

 

They will be hammered out at a two-day meeting organised by the

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at Dehradun with the

field directors of the 28 existing tiger reserves and the eight new

ones proposed.

 

NTCA has prepared the first draft guidelines for deciding what

constitutes an 'inviolate area' as well as a draft proposal for

relocation of people who could get displaced by the declaration of

such spaces.

 

The government has been keen to find a better rehabilitation package

with much of earlier resettlement attempts failing miserably and

creating friction between the local populace and the forest

department. But this time, it will have to demarcate 'inviolate

spaces' keeping in mind the recent amendment to the Wildlife

Protection Act which makes a scientific demarcation of such spaces

as mandatory before any further relocation is undertaken.

 

Besides these two draft reports, the meeting will also finalise the

proposal for creation of a Tiger Protection Force, comprising ex-

servicemen and people living around the tiger reserves.

 

It will also go through the draft eco-tourism guidelines, which are

bound to become a big issue as the field directors of the tiger

reserves and NTCA in a previous meeting had recommended that a

percentage of the revenues from tour operators and hotels that

depend upon tiger tourism be routed to conservation and supporting

villagers that get relocated.

 

Besides these, the agenda also includes discussion on an economic

rehabilitation package for hunting and other key tribes, who have

often been blamed for playing the role of the last link in the

poaching chain, very often for lack of alternative livelihood

opportunities.

 

The meeting comes in the wake of the PM's recent review of tiger

conservation status in the country and implementation of the Tiger

Task Force and just before the crucial meeting of the National

Wildlife Board of India, which is chaired by the PM.

 

The areas requiring additional funding, relocation and rehab of

hunting tribes will need to be taken through further government

channels for final approval.

 

The Union government is keen to also test the idea of signing MoUs

with the state governments for implementation of the tiger

conservation agenda, with states still showing little progress in

following up on mandatory requirements under the recent amendments

of the Wildlife Protection Act which requires them to, besides other

things, demarcate the core and buffer areas of the declared tiger

reserves and shore up protection.