Eco development is indispensable for the survival of Palamu Tiger Reserve, said D S Srivastava member of the Jharkhand State Wildlife Board adding that PTR will sink if eco development is not undertaken without more loss of time.
“Eco development is not rural development. Its prime and twin goal is to detach people from depending upon forest and wild life for their living and also to make people live on their own by augmenting their economy in order to reduce their dependency on the forest and wild life,” Srivastava said.
He said officials either do not want to appreciate this fact that without eco development PTR’s existence will be in jeopardy and those officials who understand its value just do not want to put their fingers in the pies as eco development is no statement but a far reaching tool to reduce and minimize the conflict between man and wild life.
Sources said in PTR’s buffer zone alone the human population is 1,36,000 as per the head count of 2001. There are more than 25,000 households. Out of this 89,000 are tribals.
Sources said it is just futile to talk that the population will not depend upon the forest and wild life.
Srivastava said for eco development only project tiger directorate or officials of sanctuaries or parks cannot be held responsible. There should be a convergenve of various government department for this he added.
He said without the participation of various government departments PTR’s future cannot be seen as secured.
People who live in PTR have the burden of conservation side by side their own struggle for living. This sparks conflict between man and wild life in which both are the sufferers.
Sources said a 68 year old tribal and his 40 plus son used muzzle loaded guns to finish one tusker in PTR very recently. The two killed as they had this apprehension that this single tusk elephant would ruin their standing crop.
Srivastava said under eco development scheme there should be an outlet for compensation. A villager must be compensated so that he does not look towards the forest and wild life thus making space, air, food, water, available in abundance for the wild life here.
Under eco development plan issue like grazing of cattle by villagers comes right on the top. Cattle owners who live in PTR be
compensated for making alternative arrangement for fodder to their livestock instead of pushing their herd right in the PTR.