The Madhya Pradesh forest department has decided to set up two new offices, one each in Indore and Jabalpur, to check rising instances of human-wild animal conflict and poaching.
The decision to establish the two offices of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest has been taken to check crimes like poaching of wild animals including tigers, State Government officials said.
The forest department plans to strengthen intelligence network through these offices as poachers are very active in Jabalpur and its surrounding areas, they said.
The establishment of these offices will help in controlling the problems caused by wild animals in areas surrounding these two places, they said.
A post of Chief Conservator of Forest in Indore has also been lying vacant for a very long time which is acting as deterrent to efforts towards wildlife conservation.
Recently, a tiger was found dead in the forest of Dewas indicating poaching in these areas, said Ajay Dubey, a wildlife activist.
Dubey further said "Madhya Pradesh Government should notify Omkareshwar national park and two sanctuaries - Mandhata and Singhaji - in the State. Proposals in these regard are pending for long. The decision to open new wildlife offices in Indore and Jabalpur will help in checking poaching of tiger and other wild animals."
He said that wildlife crime has also become highly organized in the State and to tackle this, the State forest department should open more offices.
Dubey demanded that the forest department should also set up wildlife crime control bureau (WCCB) to tackle the wildlife crime in the State, especially poaching of tigers from the national parks of the State.