Guest guest Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 *Encroachment hindering setting up of wildlife sanctuary* ** *Dimapur, April 27: *Even after 22 years of its declaration to set up a wildlife sanctuary in a reserve forest near Dimapur, the Nagaland Government has failed to complete the project because of illegal encroachment. The state Government had decided to set up a wildlife sanctuary in 1986 and renamed the Rangapahar Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Dimapur town as the Rangapahar Zoological Park. An important aspect of this reserve was that it served as a prime animal corridor to the nearby Ntangki National Park and Doyapur Reserve Forest and even to Assam's Karbi Anglong district. But Ntangki also bore the brunt of human interference, while Doyapur forest was reduced virtually to barren land. Illegal Encroachment which had been continuing from the '70s increased in the '90s with forest land being occupied for setting up villages and for farming. " If you want to own a piece of land at Dimapur, go and meet muscle men in these villages and procure a lot at Rangapahar park, " an NGO activist regretted. When law enforcing agencies visited the park last week in an attempt to evict illegal encroachers, they claimed ownership of land with documents and expressed determination to resist eviction. " Some of them do not possess even an inch of land in the park, but they have papers saying they are the owners, a forest official said. Sensing a possible backlash, the personnel from Dimapur district administration and police left the park without carrying out the eviction. When the Government decided to declare it as a wildlife sanctuary in 1986, only 1,161 acre of green cover was left. The encroachment increased in the '90s. The Government erected fencing to protect it when hardly 430 acre was left, but this did not deter land grabbers and it was further reduced to 176 hectare. Encroachers claimed the Government's conservation initiative as a " hidden agenda " of the Forest Department. They said that they were not trying to grab Government land, but it was the Government which was trying to force them out from the land they cultivated for more than 30 years. They questioned the Government's intention to set up the wildlife sanctuary on land where there was no jungle and no wild animal. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio last week appealed for preservation and protection of the park. Following the Chief Minister's appeal, the apex Naga body Naga Hoho came out with a strong statement against the encroachers. State Forest Minister MC Konyak visited the park along with officials on Thursday and said the Rangapahar Zoological Park would be formally inaugurated in the next 2 to 3 months. (PTI) Link: http://www.nagalandpage.co.in/2.html -- United against elephant polo http://www.stopelephantpolo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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