The expectations of the people living in Dharchula regarding getting hands on the basic amenities have remained unfulfilled, in the wake of the Chief Minister Harish Rawat being elected from the Dharchula Assembly constituency . These villages being excluded from Askot Wildlife Sanctuary’s jurisdictional area have failed to bring the elusive amenities to their doorsteps.
Notably, no development is possible for areas falling under the sanctuary’s jurisdiction. Keeping this in view, as many as 111 villages were brought outside Askot Wildlife Sanctuary about three years ago. However, this has failed to ensure development for the hapless villagers.
Moreover, the ambitious Biodiversity Conservation and Rural livelihood Improvement Project (BCRlIP) project, meant to explore livelihood options for hundreds of villages located around the aforesaid wildlife habitat and also to check human interventions and to conserve flora and fauna in the sanctuary, has remained stuck for over two years for want of required funds.
The project was scheduled to be started after the State’s Assembly polls in 2012. But the process was put on hold on account of delay in implementation of certain formalities like electronic mode of payment (e-payment) in public sector.Now, the mode of e-payment is in practice.Yet, things have not moved with fund crunch coming in the way. The Government of India is said to be keen on starting this project to ensure development as well as conservation of the Aakot landscape.
This is about a `27 crore project and both the Government of India and the State Government are meant to jointly work on this project. And the aforesaid fund is supposed to be spent over the next five years in phases.However, as the conservationists here believe, timely implementation of the aforesaid project could have come handy to maintain biodiversity and explore livelihood options for the people of this region.The BCRlIP project is basically meant to equip the human habitations outside the sanctuary with basic services and explore livelihood options for them, said Inderpal Singh, Divisional Forest Officer, Pithoragarh, while talking to The Pioneer.
Besides the above points, there is a plan to improve basic infrastructure and vigil since this region falls along the Nepal border. Mention worthy, the Ascot Wildlife Sanctuary spread over 600 sq. km near Indo-Nepal border in Pithroragarh came up in 1987.
Offering a livable atmosphere to a rare variety of wildlife species like musk deer, this high altitude park is also known for its rich bio-diversity and flora and fauna.Apart from the endangered species like musk deer, there are also different types of birds, reptiles and many other kinds of animals in this park.The major species include, lemurs, kraits, turtles, spectacled cobras, deer, gaur, horns, antlers, monkeys, darters, vipers, bison, little cormorants, and black eagles, to name a few. However, despite things on the ground remaining bleak, the people are still clinging to their hopes that with no less than the Chief Minister representing them, better days are bound to dawn sooner or later.