The remote Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand is now under the scanner of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). For the first time, a high-level team led by member secretary visited the reserve to evaluate the situation.
Categorised as a low-density tiger reserve, three major issues cropped up in course of officials’ discussions with the visiting NTCA team. While poor prey base in PTR was a major concern, the disastrous manpower strength (only 10-15 per cent of sanctioned strength) and relocation of villages from the core were discussed.
It was felt that depletion of prey base has forced the big cats to move out of the reserve. According to the 2011 census, PTR has between six to 14 tigers.
Camera trap exercises from March 2012 have indicated the presence of six to seven tigers. According to PTR field director SEH Kazmi, options are being worked out to get deer from places like Hazaribagh National Park, which have a surplus.
PTR will also set up a rescue and rehab centre, particularly for deer, which are prolific breeders. Additionally, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will soon conduct a detailed prey base study in the reserve.
PTR has abysmally low manpower and funds are not allocated on time. There are nine staff members, against the sanctioned strength of 129. “The team has told us to make casual (daily wage) appointments from villages till the time permanent appointments are made by the State. This will not only take care of the deficit manpower but also strengthen rapport with the locals,” said Kazmi.
The issue of relocation of two villages — Jaigir and Kujrum — located in the core of PTR was also discussed, There are 30 and 80 families, respectively, in the two villages, who are ready to be relocated, according to sources. “NTCA is ready to finance this. PTR officials have been asked to come to Delhi and make a detailed proposal of their plans,” a source added. Allotment to PTR in 2012-13 was about Rs 1.97 crore.
“Proposed streamlining of NTCA allotments and buffer management at the reserve can further be strengthened,” felt AK Mishra, PTR conservator of forests (buffer zone). Spanning 715 sq km, it has been notified recently, thereby ensuring it a legal status. There are about 142 villages in the buffer and 49 more on the fringes, which create a lot of pressure on the buffer zone, he pointed out.
“We need to step up protection mechanism in the buffer by creating strike forces against poaching, as we have in the core,” Mishra stressed.
Further, the buffer zone is richer in biodiversity, with better prey base than the core, which needs to be managed effectively, he added.