The National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) proposal for declaring the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (DWS) in Arunanchal Pradesh’s Dibang district as tiger reserve has failed to cut any ice with local organisations, including the Idu Mishmi Cultural & Literary Society (IMCLS), the apex body of the community which have called for re-demarcation and review of the protected habitat.
Now, the NTCA has asked the State Government to form a panel to look into the concerns of the public and refixing of erroneous boundary pillars, if any.
According to the minutes of the consultative meeting which was attended by officials of top tiger protection body and State’s forest department with the community in October, the community organisations have made it clear to the Centre that any talk on declaration of the tiger reserve can proceed only after re-demarcation of the area.
Anup Kumar Nayak, head of the NTCA told The Pioneer that a panel comprised of the Dibang Valley district administration, Idu Mishmi organizations, PCCF (Wild) and officials from the forest department will be formed to look into the matter.
He said that the need for declaring the DWS as tiger reserve has been felt after the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) submitted its research findings saying that 11 big cats were camera-trapped in the DWLS and the ‘Mishmi Hills’ in the region. “Upgradation of the sanctuary to the tiger reserve will ensure regular fund and monitoring,” said Nayak.
The locals including those representating the IMCL have been seeking reorganization of the boundary of the DWS from current 4149 sq kms to 2500 sq kms.
The IMCL and other community members have claimed that the notification of the sanctuary in 1998 was “done unilaterally by suppressing, misleading and misrepresenting the indigenous habitants,” depriving the community of their land and their cultural and traditional values.
They also claimed that no consultations was done with the affected local population while notifying the sanctuary.
“The indigenous habitants are not against the constitution of the wildlife sanctuary but pray that the land acquired for the purpose be justified in such (a way) that the traditional values and ancestral land would not be disturbed. The tiger reserve would not be welcomed until the matter of DWLS is amicably resolved,” the representation read, as per the minutes of the meeting.
“The total area of Dibang Valley district is 9,149 sq kms, within which the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 4149 sq kms. Half of the district is under the sanctuary,” said Eva Mipi of the IMCLS.
However, this is not the first time that the NTCA has sought declaration of the sanctuary as a tiger reserve. It had written to the forest department twice —in 2014 and 2016 seeking the same.