Nagpur: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has squarely blamed Maharashtra government for not following standard operating procedures (SOPs) while shooting Pandharkawda tigress T1 — Avni.
In an affidavit before the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Monday, the authority’s assistant inspector general of forest Hemant Kamdi informed that SOPs to deal with emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human-dominated landscapes, issued under Section 38 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, weren’t adhered to on four counts.
“An overriding degree of patience wasn’t exercised due to the team's inexperience. Adequate induction time to induce anaesthesia wasn’t given consequent to firing of the dart. There was no veterinarian in the team. Also, there was inadequate preparedness to handle and care an immobilized tiger, which indicated lack of intent to tranquillize it,” the NTCA pointed out.
The NTCA’s response came while hearing a PIL by Mumbai NGO Earth Brigade Foundation, filed through counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar and Sejal Lakhani.
On securing the tigress’s cubs, the NTCA said it conducted a meeting on November 17, 2018, and chalked out a strategy and also intimated the warden. “Subsequently, periodic updates were received from the government and one of the cubs was already captured and rewilded at Pench Tiger Reserve in state as per SOP to deal with orphaned/abandoned cubs and old/injured tigers,” it said.
After shortcomings were observed in eliminating the beast, the NTCA immediately advised chief secretary and chief wildlife warden to take expeditious action on the violations. It was followed by reminders to warden on January 3 and February 4, 2019. As no response was received, the secretary was once again reminded on February 6, 2019.
On March 26, 2019, the warden responded stating that the government had sought comments on reports of NTCA’s two-member team and another panel constituted by it. The NTCA then solicited details of remarks provided by warden to the government and reminded it to take action on violations that were reported by the NTCA panel.
Kamdi added that NTCA’s SOPs clearly outlines guidelines for declaration of big cats as man-eater under Section 11(1)(a) of Wildlife Act. The chief warden alone has authority to permit hunting of wild animals which have become dangerous to the humans or disabled or diseased beyond recovery. Hence petitioner’s allegations that NTCA hastily declared Avni as a man-eater is incorrect.
“While the decision of chief warden was never questioned, the manner in which T1’s killing executed required inquiry. It was duly done by NTCA and findings were communicated to the government for further action,” he said.