Stakeholders make draft vision-2040 for Tadoba

Chandrapur: A mega conference of stakeholders of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve was held at Agarzhari on Friday to prepare a comprehensive draft of Vision-2040.
Key issues like protection and conservation of tigers and wildlife along with boosting tourism, development of locals and turning Tadoba into an international tourist attraction were discussed.
CCF, TATR, Ramgaonkar said discussions were held on how Tadoba should be 20 years down the line. The conference focused on aspects of the park that need improvement, boosting tourism, extending the area, improving conservation of the corridor and increasing sources of the livelihood for locals.
“There was an outpouring of suggestions and ideas. Many key issues were also identified. Such kind of conferences will be held soon as some of the key stakeholders could not make it. There is also a need to take the views of the park staff, district officials and other government agencies,” said Ramgaonkar.
Senior wildlife activist Dr Yogeshwar Dudhpachare highlighted the threat to wildlife, forest and its corridors from mines coming up in the area. He claimed that although TATR has been declared as an eco-sensitive zone, wildlife corridors leading out of Tadoba are stretching out in all directions, where the existing and upcoming mines pose the greatest threat.
He underlined the need for striking a balance between conservation and tourism and formulating a policy against mines posing a threat to wildlife and their corridors.
State wildlife board member Bandu Dhotre said the conflict has grown out of Tadoba and hence park managers should consider all the aspects and build a vision document for a Greater Tadoba Landscape which involves all the forests in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts. The vision document should also include breeding centres for pangoline and vultures in Tadoba, he suggested.
He also suggested a research centre at Tadoba where ideas and measures for mitigation of conflict should be studied. Dhotre also suggested prompting people to experiment in farming and helping them in taking the second crop to decrease dependency on the forest.
He pointed out the need for maintaining continuity of corridors, their protection and moving out of district.
Dudhpachare said the recent incident of a tigress getting trapped in a resort was discussed and measures to avoid such incidents were suggested while expecting cooperation from the operators.
Guides from the core area were counseled to accept star ratings like guides of the buffer zone.
Dy director, TATR (buffer), G Guruprasad called upon villagers to come forward and offer their agriculture land for expansion of Tadoba.
Though peoples’ representatives were invited, only MLA Kishor Jorgewar turned up, while guardian minister Vijay Wadettiwar, former forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, MP Balu Dhanorkar, MLA Bunty Bhangadiya and Pratibha Dhanorkar were conspicuous by their absence.
PCCF (wildlife) Sunil Limaye and former PCCF (wildlife) Nitin Kakodkar along with field director (TATR), Jitendra Ramgaonkar, representatives of NGOs, resorts, tourist guides and sarpanchs from buffer villages took part in the conference.