With no funds in hands to carry out conservation works even after about two years since declaration of the Nandhaur valley in the Haldwani forest division as wildlife sanctuary, the officials concerned of the said forest division are now mooting a proposal for getting the sanctuary declared as a tiger reserve to secure funds.
The Naundhaur wildlife sanctuary is rich in terms of flora and fauna. However, for want of funds and alleged negligence on part of the Government, all steps that had been taken in the past for strengthening wildlife activities in the said wildlife habitat have now taken a backseat for want of adequate resources.
Earlier, the Nandhaur valley was just a reserve area. However, norms for a wildlife sanctuary are different. Therefore, challenges are huge after declaring the Nandhaur valley as a wildlife sanctuary and to meet certain wildlife sanctuary guidelines, to have adequate fund is a must, maintain the officials concerned.
“Since we have not received any funds for the development of the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary, we are planning to get it declared as a tiger reserve,” said the Haldwani divisional forest officer Pankaj Kumar, while talking to The Pioneer.
Since the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary is an
important wildlife habitat, bringing it under the tiger reserve category will make it easier to get funds, he added.
Among other challenges, poaching is a major threat to wildlife in this sanctuary. But for want of adequate resources, the forest division lacks even the minimum basic requirements like adequate manpower for patrolling.
The need for developing the Nandhuar valley as wildlife sanctuary was necessitated only when the Ministry of Environment and Forest set it as a precondition before the state Government for allowing collection of the riverbed materials from the Gola and other rivers in the Kumaon division.
In the meanwhile, the Haldwani forest division is planning to open this wildlife sanctuary for tourism purpose by creating requisite infrastructure. “We have got fund Rs 30 lakh initially sanctioned for equipping this Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary with necessary basic infrastructure like proper roads, drinking water services, hutments, dormitory to name a few,” said Kumar.
The basic objective behind integrating wildlife conservation activities here with tourism is to create awareness among the masses about wildlife. Providing access to the people to the wildlife will definitely help them understand the role of wildlife and the forest in our eco-system better, they added.
At the same time as threat to the wildlife in the said habitat is not less concerning, so integrating the wild conservation efforts with tourism may come in handy in protecting the flora and fauna in this sanctuary.
The Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary consists of mainly Sal, Shisham, Bamboo, Teak, Chir Pine and riverine forests and houses tiger, leopard,
elephant, Sloth Bear, Mahaseer and Great Pied Hornbill to name a few.