The State Government is sitting over the long pending proposal of formation of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in Uttarakhand even after signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The matter of concern is that in the event of death of three tigers along with some other wild animals like leopards in terai landscape stretching between Uttarakhand and UP within a week or so this month, the State Government’s kneejerk reaction towards these incidents seems to have only contradicted its commitment to take necessary protective measures to save the endangered species in its territory.
If the wildlife experts here are to be believed, the Uttarakhand Government talks tough against the anti-wildlife activities, but does little when it is supposed to act promptly to protect the endangered species like tiger.
For example the MoU between the State Government and the NTCA has already been signed about five months ago. But due to delay on part of the State Government in issuance a GO in this regard , the STPF constitution process has not been moved forward since signing of the MoU.
The MoU had been signed four/five months back between the State Government and the NTCA, said Surendra Mehara, Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR), while talking to The Pioneer in an exclusive interview. Among other formalities, now the State Government has to issue a GO in regard to providing immunity to the STPF staff under the 197 of the Cr PC. Once the GO is issued by the State Government in this regard, formation of the STPF will be started, added the Director, CTR. Talking about the composition of the STPF, Mehra informed that there will be 90 members in this STPF.
Once the certain formalities arecompleted, the new requisite manpower will be recruited, the Director, CTR further said. The STPF will be fully funded by the NTCA as the officials concerned informed.
However, it is worth mention here that formation of a specially trained force is a long overdue which could deal with the challenges of poaching and other anti-wildlife activities in Uttarakhand.
It is to note that as the reports suggest for poachers and anti-wildlife elements the Himalayan State has not only come in handy sneak into foreign soils via India Nepal border in Uttarakhand but also to execute their nefarious designs of poaching in different pockets including terai landscape of the Himalayan State.
Killing of three tigers from terai region stretching between Amangarh range in UP’s Bijnor forest division and Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar region between December 14 and December 21 only gives that impression.
The matter of fact is poaching of endangered species can’t be ruled out in other areas of the Himalayan State. But for obvious reasons of poor manpower, inadequate resources, the enforcement agencies have not been able to have a say over the poaching menace.
More importantly, in the light of this poor infrastructure put in place, tough geographical terrain has only made things tougher for the anti-poaching squad of the State forest department to deal with anti-wildlife activities including poaching menace in the hill State.