Once a roaring adobe for majestic tigers, Forest officials are now unsure about the number of the animals roaming in the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR).
Against the previous scat sample-based census that had brought the figure as low as just around half a dozen five years back and got reconfirmed in 2014, the officials are tightlipped while blaming some external forces for the vanishing carnivores.
When contacted, Divisional Forest Officer-Core of the PTR, Betla AK Mishra cited growing activities of the Maoists and the deterrents put in place by the security forces as the reasons behind the depletion.
“CRPF activities have gone up considerably in the areas, especially which have been the critical tiger habitats for the wild animal in the forest reserve. Even 15 days ago, fierce gun battle between the naxals and CRPF men took place around Baresand jungles. How can the tigers reside where the mortar shells are getting fired and exploding,” asked Mishra.
The entire area of the PTR falls right in the red zone known for heavy naxal presence. Staring from Kechki and Betla, the forests of Baresand, Garu and others touch boundaries of Chhattisgarh, another hotbed of the outlawed. It is learnt that top officials of the Forest and Environment Department have been apprised about the situation but since the matter is related to security nothing can be done immediately.
“In recent times we have seen the activities of the CRPF growing up in the area. Since the area has been one of the major hidings of naxals, frequent encounters take place there. The situation is very disturbing for any wild life to stay in the PTR,” said a top official of the Department requesting anonymity.
Situation in the tiger reserve is so serious that the management there has not done any citing of the royal animal in recent time despite having camera trapped installed. “We have installed camera traps which are around 75 near water bodies where the wild animals visit very frequently. But no citing of tiger has taken place in recent times. Often we remove the camera during monsoons and also because the instrument cannot be left installed all the time due to the chances of theft etc, the citing would not have occurred,” added Mishra.
Besides, another worrying situation for the Betla reserve is in the form of tree felling which reportedly has gone up in recent times in the reserve spreading in 226.27 sq km. “I had brought a question in the Assembly about illegal cuttings taking place at Betla. Nevertheless the Government replied that in the last three years only 84 trees have been cut but the number is much more, I guess,” said BJP legislator from Chhatarpur Radha Krishna Kishore.
local officials, however, asserted that there are 170 eco-development committees at village levels meant to protect trees inside the Betla national forest. The committee members are given night vision devices and binoculars but the officials maintain in private that these are mostly running on papers without being given much rights and duties.