There is a dire need of thorough revision of the decades-old Government policies for the relocation of humans from the forest areas, says the wildlife experts, adding that this is the only means to reduce the spiralling incidence of man-beast conflicts.
The villagers living on the fringes of Rajaji National Park and Rajaji Tiger Reserve are living under the constant fear of the wild beasts with the elephants feasting on their hard-grown crops and the leopards stalking around in search of prey among the villagers, particularly the children. The indiscriminate encroachment of the forest lands by the humans must be stopped, opine the wildlife experts. They regret that the task of relocating over 1600 Van Gujjar families from the forests has been pending for over 16 years since the state was formed.
The Rajaji National Park coming into existence in 1983, the Van Gujjars residing in the forest area keep posing a big challenge for the Government as well as the Park authorities. Besides, the Van Gujjars are bereft of basic amenities required for a decent living. Roads are eluding them as the children have no school to study.
In 1998, the Government had done census of the Van Gujjar families. It had been found that 1560 such families were there. Thereafter, 1392 such families had been relocated in Pathri and Gaindikhata villages in Haridwar. But due to paucity of land, 168 families could not have been relocated. With things going at a snail’s pace, the number of such families has shot up to 1610. Aside from those residing in Rajaji National Park, 911 other Van Gujjar families from Shyampur, Rasiabadh and Chidiapur ranges are also to be relocated.
The president of Van Gujjar Punarvas and Vikas Samiti, Shamshad said while talking to The Pioneer that the work of their relocation must be completed at the earliest. “It would be good not just for the forest but for them too as they are being forced to live miserable life shorn of the minimum amenities,” he added.
“The Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve aside from Haridwar Forest Division being encroached upon by the shepherds and the Van Gujjars for the past many years, it is time to relocate them away from the forests. Regrettably, as of now, there is no plan to relocate those living on encroached forest land in Chidiyapur forest division. land and fund constraints are coming in the way. So are the Government-fixed norms. The norms must be changed to suit them to the need of the present time. The Van Gujjars must be shifted first from the protected areas and then the process of relocating them from the non-protected areas of forest division would start,” said Haridwar divisional forest officer H K Singh.
Another wildlife expert Bivash Pandav said that the Van Gujjar community people keep on encroaching upon fresh forest lands in several ranges like Gohari of RTR and Shyampur of Haridwar forest division.