Nagpur: Blankets, utensils, nets in 500kg Pench river trash

NAGPUR: Blankets, utensils, mattresses, discarded fishing nets and plastic bottles were among the 500kg trash recovered from the Pench river by the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) during a cleaning drive. The drive indicates how illegal fishing has messed up the tiger reserves and its ecosystems.
Prabhu Nath Shukla, deputy director, Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), Maharashtra said the special cleaning drive was carried out between April 29 and May 11, by 75 personnel of STPF units along with regular field staff. Labourers engaged in protection, eco-development committee (EDC), and primary response team (PRT) members were also part of the drive.
“We cleaned over 60km of the riverbank area. The seized material apparently belonged to fishermen who illegally enter the river waters to catch fish. As water level has gone own, it is convenient to carry out the drive at regular intervals,” said Shukla.
Totaladoh dam, which is also called as a Meghdoot water reservoir, forms the boundary of the Maharashtra PTR and Madhya Pradesh Pench. Pench river connecting Totaladoh to the lower Pench dam is flanked on both sides by the tiger reserve.
Illegal fishing in Totaladoh and community fishing in the lower Pench dam as well as buffer areas of Pench lead to the dumping of many active and discarded fishing nets in the reservoir, thus not only damaging the ecology but also causing problems for wildlife.
Shukla said other non-biodegradable waste collected on the bank degrades the quality of the habitat and make it hazardous for wildlife. As water level in Pench dips during the summer, the debris gets further exposed. Recently, a spotted deer’s antlers were entangled in the fishing net. The animal was rescued by the RRT.