The recent record-seizure by the police of five tiger pelts and about 125 kgs of tiger bones in Haridwar is said to have galvanised both the Union Government and State Government.
While the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has sought a report from the State Chief Minister Harish Rawat, a meeting was held with State wildlife advisory board members a couple of days after the seizure and issued instructions for strengthening wildlife security.
The CM gave his approval for the swift formation of 112-member special tiger protection force in Corbett tiger reserve and also directed that 100 additional workers be deployed immediately for patrolling.
However, observers point out that most of the instructions refer to fundamentals of departmental functioning like patrolling, optimisation of resource utilisation and establishing coordination and joint efforts at the departmental, inter-departmental and inter-State levels. Skeptics point out that such instructions have been issued repeatedly for years and now by successive Chief Ministers, forest and wildlife ministers and top department officials without the desired result being achieved.
The seizure of tiger pelts and bones on March 13 by the police STF appeared to jolt the State authorities who have been claiming credit for rise in State’s tiger population and other measures.
Chairing a meeting of State wildlife advisory board late on Wednesday evening, the CM said that forest department officers should establish cordial links with residents of forest-fringe villages so that the department and police receive prompt information about happenings in the forests.
He also directed the forest and police departments to tackle wildlife crime with co-ordinated effort and instructed that a high level crime meet of officials from both the departments be held monthly. Directing officials to hold a joint meeting with their counterparts in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, he said that he would himself talk to his UP counterpart for this. A joint campaign by the police and forest departments should also undertaken to keep an eye on seasoned wildlife criminals.
He also directed that phones of notorious wildlife criminals be kept under surveillance apart from informing the public about such elements using their photographs or sketches.
Rawat also issued other instructions related to provision of ration for forest patrol teams, proposals for repairing dilapidated forest routes and developing forest dependent communities like Van Gujjars into source of information on wildlife activities.
An official source on condition of anonymity said that for some years now, issues like inter-departmental coordination, formation of special tiger protection force, human and other resource for wildlife security have been repeatedly taken up in the establishment with meetings being held, plans being made and instructions being issued.
“These are long standing issues which have been the focus of plans, instructions and tasks under successive state governments. However, wildlife security remains affected by factors like delayed or inadequate police support, lack of coordination within the department, political and other influence along with lack of required resources as exemplified by Uttarakhand’s anti-poaching cell which consists mainly of its chief,” he said.
A wildlife activist said, “Recently when two steel traps and one knife was seized in a joint operation in Haridwar , the forest staff was reluctant to even file the recovery memo- Fard baramadgi citing divisional boundaries. The issue of encroachment in forest area has been raised for years now, but political and other factors have kept the focus on developing ‘vote-banks’ instead of taking action against encroachers,” averred the activist.