The Palamu tiger reserve has a new DFO Core, Anil Kumar Mishra, who joined the post only on Friday. On Saturday, he was busy shifting his belongings to his new quarter located deep within but close to NH 75. The Pioneer spoke to him when he was packing up things for himself as to what his priorities are in his new assignment as DFO Core PTR. Excerpts of The Pioneer’s conversation with Mishra:
What works have you thought of for PTRIJ
First to improve the habitat of the wild life here. It is degrading. Second task that I have set for myself is to retain and detain every drop of rain. And finally to reduce the dependence of the poor living in and around the park for them a rejuvenated livelihood improvement.There used to be six or seven nurseries once upon a time in PTR. Today there is none.
Rightly said. There is none now. We want nursery to be set up. My idea is to go for tall plants as in the park a 2 or 3 feet high plant is likely to be destroyed by wild life. So tall plant will be helpful. By 6 or 7 months it can take shape.
Water bodies in the PTR are full of water now but come November December it starts drying up. How to manage the perennial water crisis in PTRIJ
Rightly pointed out by Pioneer that by November December this water will be no where around. We will devise new means to check run off water or percolation of it. like other tiger reserves where rain water is retained by stone pitching or by spreading plastic sheet along with stones to check run off water here too it will be introduced.
There is a water body, Madhu Chuan, which has had the status of a perennial availablewater body. How is its status nowIJ
Madhu Chuan is no longer a perennial water body. It gets dry up. This is a matter of deep concern.
Villagers take axe in their hands and intrude into PTR for fire wood. How will you tackle thisIJ
I have a plan to increase the chance and opportunity of enriching their livelihood. The village folks will be roped in various works like making candle, agarbatti, pickles, etc. They would be taught to make powder of medicinal plants for tourists to buy. Every year on an average 25,000 tourists visit PTR. Do you not think a large number of them are diabetic. What tremendous good it will do if these tourists are sold powder of Jamun seed by the villagers.
This PTR is not like other tiger reserve where a tourist when returns from here has no memorabilia with him/ herIJ
Very soon you will find things of remembrance of this PTR with the tourists. Give me some breathing time please.