Machan census to be low-key affair

Nagpur: The 24-hour-long machan census, which has been rechristened as ‘Nisarga Anubhav’, will be a low-key affair this year with very limited machans. The exercise for experiencing forest and wildlife by sitting over a machan will begin in select areas on May 18, the Buddha Pournima Day.
While Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati district will start online registrations on the website magicalmelghat.com for over 425 machans from Monday, other parks are reluctant to open up and will conduct the exercise in buffer areas only. The registrations for MTR will start at 3pm.
MS Reddy, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) & MTR field director, said, “Apart from Melghat reserve, we have included parks like Katepurna, Karanja Sohol and Dhyanganga sanctuaries. We are charging Rs615 only towards food to be supplied to the participants at the spots in the morning and night.”
“The exercise will start at 9am on May 18 for 24 hours. The park has set boarding points and has also arranged home stay and guesthouse for participants coming from faraway cities,” said Melghat officials.
Meanwhile, many young and old naturalists are disappointed with the decision of Navegaon-Nagzira, Pench and Tadoba tiger reserves to conduct the exercise in a limited manner.
In Pench, ‘Nisarga Anubhav’ will be held over 50 machans in Nagalwadi and Paoni, both in the buffer zone. There will be a few machans available in Tipeshwar while in Umred-Karhandla wildlife sanctuary, only in Gothangaon and Karhandla. In Paoni range, the exercise is not likely to be held.
For the first time, Bor Tiger Reserve has been excluded from the event.
TATR deputy director (buffer) G Guruprasad said, “The park will conduct the exercise from 50 machans in the buffer. We will take nominal charge towards guide and logistic fees.”
Owing to a question raised in the state assembly last year against exorbitant charges ranging between Rs1,200-1,700 per participant, this year the parks will not charge money, a section of field directors told TOI.
Pench will allot machans on first-come-first-serve basis through applications. The entire schedule of NNTR, Pench and Tadoba will be out on Monday.
In Navegaon-Nagzira, the exercise will be conducted from 30 machans only in New Nagzira sanctuary and Navegaon National Park.
“We are already in the process of Phase IV estimation exercise in Nagzira sanctuary and hence Nisarga Anubhav will not be held here. Koka sanctuary too has been excluded. Online bookings for 30 machans will start on Tuesday,” said a NNTR official.
“Machan census is a rare opportunity to win support of people for forest and wildlife. Participants wait for entire year to be a part of this exercise but this year we are disappointed,” said Pravin Katre, a nature lover.
Pench field director RS Govekar said, “The exercise has no scientific basis and approval from even NTCA. We are already conducting Nisarga Anubhav by for school students throughout the year.”
Nagpur territorial CCF P Kalyan Kumar said, “We will conduct the exercise in four districts — Wardha (Bor), Bhandara (Koka), Gondia (NNTR) and Nagpur. There are over 100 machans and a review meeting with RFOs has been called on May 9-10.”