Uttarakhand faces major challenges in wildlife protection due to a combination of rich wildlife, border with Nepal and lack of resources in the Forest Department.
The State is considered to be the hub of leopard poaching and illegal trade in the pelt and body parts of this big cat. Such factors have elicited focus on the need for a State-level agency specifically focused on efforts against poaching and other wildlife crime in addition to maintaining all relevant data. Wildlife activists also welcomed this idea, but added that instead of forming a new body, the Forest Department could also strengthen the existing anti-poaching cell which continues to face a shortage of staff and resources.
The Rajaji National Park field director SP Subudhi said that there is need for a State-level agency on the lines of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. “A State wildlife crime control bureau should be formed to facilitate coordinated efforts, information and logistics in the fight against wildlife crime in Uttarakhand. As the Director of a national park, my first priority is wildlife management but those managing territorial divisions have to focus on public management, forest management and other issues too. There are times when wildlife crimes are perpetrated by those living in territorial divisions but targeting wildlife in protected forest areas but action against them is at times affected by lack of coordinated action along with necessary information and logistics. If we have a State-level agency like a State Wildlife Crime Control Rureau, it would be helpful to effectively tackle wildlife crime,” he said.
The chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) Administration and Intelligence, SK Dutt, who also heads the State anti-poaching cell, said that it would be good to have a State Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on the lines of the central bureau. It is upto the State or the Central Governments to take the necessary steps to facilitate this, he said. Regarding the proposal he had submitted to the chief wildlife warden for augmenting the staff and resources of the anti-poaching cell, Dutt said that the proposal had been forwarded to higher authority and was under process.
Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) State in-charge Rajendra Agrawal said that a State level agency to fight against wildlife crime could prove helpful. However, he pointed out that the State could first try and improve its anti-poaching cell to achieve the desired results against rising wildlife crime.