Nagpur: The wildlife wing and territorial wing officials of the forest department are at crossroads over declaring Mahendri a sanctuary, in Warud range in Amravati circle.
While Amravati chief conservator of forest (CCF) Pravin Chavan has submitted a negative report about the proposed sanctuary, Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) field director MS Reddy says Mahendri can change the fortune of the local people, and it will be a stepping stone for wildlife conservation.
At the State Wildlife Board (SWBL) meeting on August 7, 2020, chairman of the board and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had granted in-principle approval to Mahendri sanctuary.
On August 20, PCCF (wildlife) Nitin Kakodkar had asked Chavan to submit a report through APCCF & MTR field director on sanctuary proposal. After three months, during which a lot of negative propaganda was done against Mahendri by territorial employees, now a negative report has been presented to derail the move.
The report says that the proposed 67 sq km sanctuary area is spread in two parts. One part comprises 49 sq km (10 compartments), and is honeycombed with private land around it and no forest land. The remaining 18 sq km can be a sanctuary as it connects neighbouring Madhya Pradesh forest.
However, wildlife wing officials say the proposed area is a reserve forest connecting Melghat-Bor tiger corridor. It will be a stepping stone for wildlife and tiger conservation, and bring employment to the locals through ecotourism. Besides, there is only one village, Mahendri, inside the proposed area. This village is voluntarily ready to move out.
“Why are the territorial officials worried about private land near the proposed sanctuary? It is also wrong to say that flora and fauna are found in only 18 sq km area and not in the remaining 49 sq km. Are territorial officials saying this on the basis of any scientific study?” asked Vishal Bansod, former honorary wildlife warden, Amravati.
“There is a big quarry on revenue land outside the proposed area, and once a sanctuary is notified the quarry will have to shut shop once the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) is notified. Hence, the forest officials are opposing the proposal,” alleged Sawan Deshmukh, another honorary wildlife warden.
Deshmukh added, “Secondly, the CCF has said that 40 villages are dependent on the said forest for grazing cattle, and if the said forest is declared a sanctuary there will be a problem. If a senior forest official himself is supporting grazing, how can a forest be conserved?”
“The CCF report also states that there is no political support for the sanctuary, and opinions and views of the people need to be taken. However, not all are opposed to the sanctuary proposal. Wardha MP Ramdas Tadas has already declared support for Mahendri. Most of the villages are ready and people want their doubts to be cleared, which has not been done by the foresters,” says Bansod.
Chavan’s report states that in the last 10 years, employment for over 5.22 lakh man-days was generated by way of coupe working, tendu collection, and plantation, soil and water conservation works. The forest department generated revenue worth Rs7.16 crore during the period and sanctuary will deprive locals of employment.
However, local leader Sachin Anjikar, supporting the sanctuary proposal, says, “Ecotourism can generate more revenue without damaging the environment. There is a lot of confusion created among the minds of the people.”