The pitiable working conditions of forest guards and daily wagers in Corbett tiger reserve and other protected forest areas have once again come to the fore with the death of a daily wager who succumbed to injuries sustained in a tiger attack in Corbett.
In addition, observers state that prompt action from department officers is also needed to prevent such fatalities. Meanwhile, the honorary warden of Corbett has expressed concern at the tiger which is behaving boldly in front of humans and could be the one responsible for mauling another human earlier this year.
Though the forest guards and daily wagers form the backbone of wildlife and environmental protection, their working conditions are far from satisfactory.
They have limited communication and safety equipment. The two daily wagers who were patrolling in Kalagarh when one of them was attacked by a tiger were carrying little more than a bamboo stick for protection. According to the Corbett honorary warden Brijendra Singh, the forest guards and daily wagers are no less courageous than the soldiers who guard the nation’s borders.
“It is their contribution which ensures the protection of the national animal tiger, other wildlife and environment. The dedication of these men goes beyond the call of duty. Unlike others, the conditions under which these men work are pathetic and the emoluments received a pittance and that too, if, the salary arrives after a delay of some months. A discarded, refilled bottle of water, a few stale rolled up dry chapatis and a ‘danda’ are all that daily wagers Rakesh Kumar Sharma and Dev Singh had with them when they were patrolling on October 18, the day when a tiger attacked Sharma who died on Monday.”
Singh further states that the tiger which attacked Sharma could be the one which had attacked another man earlier this year. “locals who go to the woods to collect fodder have also been stating that a tiger is acting boldly. This needs to be investigated before the big cat becomes a problem requiring drastic measures for redressal,” said Corbett’s honorary warden.