Carnage near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra

While international and national NGOs, National Tiger Conservation Authority, the World Bank, Global Tiger Initiative and Global Tiger Forum, and many others were taking a 'stock' of world's tigers in Delhi for the past 3 days, one more tiger out of this 'stock' was poached and chopped into pieces by barbaric human beings, whom we all know as 'poachers'. Another tiger has been ruthlessly killed near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), Chandrapur, Maharashtra. The poachers carried its head and paws and left the remaining body, cut into pieces around 15 km from TATR. The poachers are believed to be of Bahelia community of Katni, Madhya Pradesh. The poachers dared this heinous act when the Forest Department of the State has already issued a RED ALERT in the State in anticipation of tiger poaching incidents! What an irony of sorts! All those deliberations, articulate powerpoint presentations, discussions over cocktails and 5-star food over 3 days between world tiger experts, top-most forest officers, conservationists, scientists and NGOs, weren't enough to do what needs to be done...PROTECT EVERY TIGER in this country & the world, and at any cost. The Global Tiger Recovery Program aims to double the numbers of wild tigers by 2022. With all due regards to the prestigious organisations involved, it seems a very difficult task to achieve in India, unless the MoEF and respective State Governments take stringent steps.

Perhaps now a blame game will start in Tadoba...as the tiger was found dead outside the TATR, so is it from the tiger reserve or the surrounding forest division? A few transfers...maybe as 'punishment'. But will this solve the problem? Will this ensure safe haven for tigers in India's forests. In this case, however, the forest department has no choice but to accept this incident as a clear case of poaching. Had the body been intact, an autopsy would have been conducted and the post-mortem report would elaborate the cause of death in scientific terms, which would not make any sense to a lay man and certainly DOES NOT indicate the circumstances that lead to its death. It is highly shameful that despite a 'red alert' and 24X7 surveillance, the forest department could not prevent such an incident. Only two weeks ago, another tiger was killed in Tadoba by poachers. While the tigers in Protected Areas are relatively safe, they are under severe threat in the sink areas like territorial forest divisions and forest corridors. 

How many more tigers need to die untimely before common sense prevails and strict anti-poaching measures are taken by every State of this country? Why can't every tiger reserve have fully equipped tiger protection forces with sophisticated weapons, vehicles and trained commandos who can deal with any eventualities? Why can't the Kaziranga model that has successfully dealt with poachers, be implemented in other States? Are tigers (and other wildlife) in Maharashtra and other States less important than in Assam? Armed anti-poaching patrols must be stationed at all tiger reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and the surrounding sink areas to deal with poachers and other mafias.

We ALL must unitedly let the governments know that we the PEOPLE of this country will not take such incidents lightly in future. The forest department MUST at any cost do whatever they can to protect the tigers and other wildlife in India's forests. Many of the tiger reserves now have enough machinery to deal with poachers and other anti-social elements; thanks to the generous donations raised through NDTV campaign and Wildlife Conservation Trust. The forest departments have now nothing really to crib about being ill-equipped and short staffed. Protecting wildlife is their job and duty, and they must do it with all sincerity.  If anyone lacks the necessary passion, vacate the seats for more deserving individuals who have the fire in their hearts. Any further nonsense and diplomatic explanations should not be tolerated. Enough is enough!

The Corbett Foundation strongly condemns this incidence and demands an urgent probe and strictest punishment to the guilty.

* picture courtesy: The Satpuda Foundation

25% additional forest land for infrastructure projects in India

As per the report in Hindustan Times dated Feb 22nd, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India has agreed to divert additional 25% forest land that was earlier categorised as ‘no-go’ area for infrastructure projects like power, road, coal, etc. The decision was taken after a group of CEOs led by Mr. Ratan Tata met the Prime Minister of India and some of his Cabinet ministers. The Prime Minister’s Office promptly swung into action and within merely two weeks took a decision that will have a huge negative impact on India's forests and wildlife!

Knowing the Government of India’s penchant for ‘development’ and the Environment Ministry’s ‘efficiency’ to clear several industrial projects in some of the pristine Protected Areas of India, this news didn’t really shock me. With the country’s forests and wildlife already fragmented into small pockets, the decision to divert additional 25% forest area for developmental projects is certainly going to make matters worse. When the National Tiger Conservation Authority is pushing to control wildlife tourism to make tiger habitats inviolate, what justification does the Government of India have in giving away already scarce forest land that could well be a tiger habitat, an important wildlife corridor or a catchment for rivers? Once and for all, the MoEF must come out with a comprehensive policy clearly mentioning the existing ‘no-go’ areas and placing a moratorium on any further development in these areas, however important it may seem to be.

It is my fervent wish that the corporate sector should act more responsibly in future and avoid infrastructure projects in the ‘no-go’ areas. After all, infrastructure could be located elsewhere but species lost and ecosystems destroyed cannot be recreated.

DILIP KHATAU
Chairman, The Corbett Foundation

Save Indian Bustards Campaign

The semi arid grasslands of Kutch in Gujarat are one of the few abodes of the critically endangered Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), also known as the Great Indian Bustard. Though Kutch has been known for its second highest breeding population for this species, severe pressures of habitat loss due to unplanned industrialisation and agricultural encroachment over the past few years has resulted with a drastic decline in the population of this majestic bird. The population estimates reveal an estimated population of less than 30 birds in Kutch out of the total 300 birds surviving in the wild today. The Indian Bustard shares its habitat with other species of the bustard family – MacQueen’s Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueeni) and Lesser Florican (Spheotides indica), both vulnerable and endangered respectively as per the IUCN Red List.

All these 30-odd Indian Bustards survive in the Abdasa taluka of Kutch district. India has declared 13 sanctuaries for the protection of this bird. One of these, the Kutch Bustard Sanctuary spread over a mere 2 sq km, is located near Lala village near Naliya in Abdasa taluka. However, a major breeding population of Indian Bustards thrives outside the protected area, in Abdasa taluka. The areas outside this notified Protected Area serve as the breeding, display and wintering areas of these birds. Apart from the reasons of habitat loss as mentioned above, constant threat from uncontrolled cattle grazing over its potential habitat and occasional hunting by trigger-happy people is taking these birds closer to extinction. The Indian Bustard is included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India.

It is extremely essential to stop and remove the encroachment from the important areas for GIB. Industrial projects cannot be sanctioned on the land used by Indian Bustards. The Corbett Foundation appeals to the State Government of Gujarat and the Ministry of Environment of Forests, Government of India to take immediate action to protect the Indian Bustard habitat and save this species from extinction in Gujarat. All local and national NGOs, bird-watchers, naturalists, conservationists, scientists and the people of India and the world must come together and in unison make the plea to save Indian Bustards. This might be LAST call to save this magnificent species from Gujarat.

Please sign this online petition and pledge your support to the cause
http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-indian-bustard-campaign

Thank you!

Message from Mr. Dilip Khatau, Chairman of The Corbett Foundation

The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India is hearing a PIL with an appeal to ban all wildlife tourism activities in core areas of the Protected Areas in the State of Madhya Pradesh. While I do support disciplined and controlled tourism, it must be noted that livelihoods of many people living in and around these PAs are dependent on tourism. If tourism activities inside PAs were indeed bad for tiger conservation, then how come tigers are doing well in areas like Corbett, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambhore, Bandipur, etc. where wildlife tourism exists. It is also important to note that tigers in Sariska and Panna were exterminated not by tourism but by poachers. The forest departments here failed completely in protecting tigers, and Panna or Sariska were certainly not one of those PAs with high tourism activities.

Our Trustee Nirmal Ghosh has expressed his thoughts on this issue in the below mentioned article...

The 'Tiger Tourism' Question

The 'Tiger Tourism' Question

By Nirmal Ghosh

With due respect to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which I have no doubt works hard to carry out its mandate to protect the tiger, the proposal to ban tourism in 'core areas' of tiger reserves is, to put it bluntly, silly and misguided.

(For background see this article and comment)

The Supreme Court had a hearing on the petition this week, and adjourned its hearing until the first week of December.

First, some disclosure.

- I am a Trustee of The Corbett Foundation, which works with communities on the periphery of Corbett Tiger Reserve. The Foundation is associated with Infinity Resorts, which has a lodge at Dhikuli, Uttarakhand. Infinity Resorts was the first resort to set up in the location, and specializes in ecotourism. I derive no monetary gain whatsoever from my association with the Foundation, which has a long track record of excellent conservation work. I have no stake at all in tourism, beyond being a tourist myself when I visit a tiger reserve anywhere. I have also been a member of the Steering Committee of Project Elephant, and a member of the managing committee of Friends of the Doon which has done excellent work in Rajaji National Park. All this is a matter of public record.

- Furthermore, in 1987 I was appointed member secretary of a ministry of environment committee set up by then-joint secretary (wildlife) Dr. M. K. Ranjitisinh, to study the impact of tourism in national parks and sanctuaries. We studied over 12 areas (including Sariska, Ranthambore, Corbett, Gir, Bandipur and Mudumalai and Nagarahole, and Keoladeo Ghana), and produced reports and recommendations on the management of tourism. The recommendations were essentially geared to limiting tourism, while recognizing that tourism is an important and indispensable tool for promoting awareness of wildlife.

I am NOT a fan of unlimited and unregulated or mismanaged tourism. Personally, I avoid places where tourism runs riot. I believe and have always advocated, that tourism should be strictly managed in a professional manner similar to what takes place in national parks in north America and South Africa - both at sea and on land. Managers should be properly trained and empowered and resourced, to manage tourism. I have argued for a professional cadre of guides and Rangers dedicated to tourism management, empowered and with full and proper authority, at Corbett National Park, both to manage tourism as well as provide professional quality tourism services that enhance the tourism experience.

I also believe tourism in peripheral areas away from core zones should be encouraged to spread the load, and to minimize disturbance in prime wildlife habitats. But I do not see the rationale for banning tourists entirely from inside core areas.

Let us look at the intervening years. Who wiped out tigers from Sariska and Panna? It wasn’t tourists. And remember, Tiger Reserves already have ‘inviolate’ core areas. How come in 2000-01, elephants were poached in Corbett, both outside and inside these ‘inviolate’ core areas?? Where have all the tigers that have been poached been killed? In tourism zones or in already inviolate core areas? Are there GIS maps and data to prove this?

Yes, the proliferation of resorts in places like Ranthambhore, Corbett and Kanha to name just a few, disturb habitat on the fringes of protected areas. There are few controls on sound and light pollution, and waste disposal. But who is responsible for enforcing standards in these areas? Surely, it is local authorities. In a free market people will try and get away with things unless there are rules to limit certain activities – and more importantly enforcement of those rules. If relevant authorities are incapable of enforcing rules, or themselves do not observe rules, what is the answer? When you have a wound on your foot, do you treat the wound or cut off the leg?

The petition wants tourists out and only ‘management interventions’ allowed in core zones.

And what are these ‘management interventions’ that will be allowed? If the area is to be inviolate surely these vague ''management interventions'' should also not be allowed? They are not necessary in the first place if the principle is to leave these places ‘inviolate’. This will be a huge source of corruption and malpractice as visits to these so-called ‘inviolate’ areas will be in high demand and VIPs and celebrities will subvert the system – because local officials will be threatened and overridden and won’t be able to say ‘No’ – and get a free run in government jeeps.

Also, how is the fact that there are actually more tigers in areas frequented by tourists than those that are not, to be explained? And what about transparency and accountability in these core zones?

Please see this report on the debacle at Panna. Are tourists responsible for this?

Tourism – whether it is ‘tiger tourism’ or birding – brings in millions of Dollars to local communities across the country. Has the NTCA done any study on the benefits of tourism to local communities? To the drivers, the guides, the suppliers, the staff of tourist establishments and the local travel service entrepreneurs? The NTCA and all conservationists in their right minds know that local communities must support wildlife conservation for any wildlife to survive. We have been advocating this for years, and working hard at it. Tourism is one way to do this.

Besides, most conservationists started out as tourists. It’s not rocket science.

The petition is not backed by sound data, and is a waste of time and resources. The NTCA should instead be looking at ways to fix the problems of the wildlife department and ensure better management and protection of wildlife. Tourists can be a problem, but they are a minor problem and in fact a compelling case can be made that they are an asset. They can be the eyes and ears of a concerned and engaged public which has a stake in the preservation of natural resources and heritage that is the patrimony of all, not a select few.

ECOTOURISM: A CHALLENGE IN INDIA

Article by: Dilip Khatau, Chairman of The Corbett Foundation

The Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India circulated its draft guidelines for 'Ecotourism in Protected Areas'. While in principle it is necessary to have guidelines in place to regulate and mitigate pressures of tourism on all Protected Areas in India, it is important that a more pragmatic and positive approach needs to be adopted by the Government. Being a former member of the National Board for Wildlife and an ardent wildlife conservationist and a wildlife chain resorts operator, I feel there are severe short-comings which I would like to highlight below.

The MoEF's suggestion that 30% 'local conservation cess' be paid by all resorts and commercial properties within a designated zone around a Protected Area (PA) is totally unworkable. The Banerjee Committee Guidelines of the 28th May 2011 suggests Lodges and Camps pay a fee to the host community. However, the MOEF's guidelines have diverted this to a fee for themselves! We feel that instead of a 'local conservation cess', the government should enforce strict guidelines wherein the resorts around the PAs should contribute for the betterment of local communities, environmental awareness and wildlife conservation. They should have a choice of either donating this funds towards the Foundation formed in each tiger reserve and claim 100% tax exemption, OR if they prefer, direct these donations to the villagers at the grassroots level. For e.g. solar energy to provide renewable energy, removing of weeds/invasive species from wild habitats, veterinary care services, compensation for livestock killed by wild predators, recharging ground water by rain-water harvesting, helping villagers in income-generating schemes etc.

The Corbett Foundation (TCF), which was established by me way back in 1994, works with the objective of mitigating man-animal conflict and ensuring that human beings and nature share a harmonious relationship. TCF together with Infinity Resorts (IR) which owns a chain of wildlife resorts in Corbett, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Kutch and Kaziranga have been doing the above programmes since its inception 20 years ago. Our staff interacts with tourists and educates them about the need and importance of low-impact and responsible tourism. Many tourists also participate in the Foundation's wildlife conservation and environmental awareness initiatives in all our divisions. TCF (Kanha) also operates a Medical & Training Centre in Infinity Resort's property in Kanha that regularly imparts vocational training to the local tribal youth to provide them alternate livelihood opportunities.

As for the guidelines which classify all those with a business stake in ecotourism as apathetic to environmental concerns - I totally disagree to this statement! The ecotourism industry is dependent on tourists that come only to see and experience the forests, wildlife and wilderness of the PAs. The hoteliers cannot afford to be apathetic to the environment because if the wildlife, forests and environment are destroyed, it will affect their business negatively. When I founded The Corbett Foundation more than 17 years ago, it was because I felt strongly that the local communities living in the periphery of these Pas need to be involved in the mainstream tourism and should reap the benefits of tourism directly. This, I believed, would ensure a viable business proposition and long-term survival of wildlife a “win-win” solution which has been carried out very successfully in Africa. TCF, through its work in wildlife conservation, environmental awareness, community medical outreach, vocational training, habitat restoration, and sustainable development initiatives has demonstrated a model which can be replicated by other players in the ecotourism industry. But such initiatives must be recognized and encouraged by Government. Ecotourism initiatives abroad are encouraged by incentives like Green Awards. It is high time that Government encourages and institutes national-level awards for ecotourism stakeholders. Government schemes / initiatives must put Ecotourism as one of the areas that the corporate sector can support as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) incentives. The corporate sector should receive tax incentives for supporting ecotourism projects.

I would also like to draw your attention to the tourist infrastructure created and managed by Government, either as Forest Department or Tourism Department, inside PAs. The obvious examples are Dhikala Tourism Complex inside Corbett Tiger Reserve, The ITDC Forest Lodge inside the Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, RTDC Jhoomar Baori on the edge of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, MPTDC Bhageera Loghuts in Kanha Tiger Reserve and the KTDC with Aranya Niwas and The Lake Palace inside Periyar Tiger Reserve. It would be interesting to know how much revenue each of these properties generates for the host park per annum and how much has been ploughed back into the conservation programmes of these parks? In addition, will the government levy Conservation Cess on these properties as well? What about Forest Rest Houses in many PA that are rented out to tourists? Most of these are situated deep inside the core areas. Does the government plan to move these accommodations out of the core areas? The Park Directors are busy running these FRHs instead of using their valuable time for forest and wildlife management! There is hardly any enforcement of strict rules and regulations inside the PAs, as well. A striking example is Jhirna Forest Rest House in Corbett NP that has been converted into a canteen for tourists. It serves snacks in non-biodegradable packaging, there are no sufficient waste bins, and foil and polythene bags are littered everywhere. One can see so many rhesus macaques and common langurs feeding on these leftovers even in Dhikala and Bijrani zones of Corbett NP.

It is a common knowledge that there are many villagers who enter the PAs illegally to cut wood, poach, set up traps for wildlife, cattle graze, collecting minor forest produce, etc even from core areas. The Forest Department personnel should stop these trespassers as they affect the wildlife and their habitat!

The guidelines propose to allow only 10-15% of the area of a PA for tourism. The draft guidelines also say that ecotourism will only be conducted in buffer areas instead of in core zones. As everyone knows, buffer areas in most PAs do not have a high density of wild animals and therefore the possibility of sighting wildlife is less. As the rates for entrance fees are raised yearly, so are the possibilities that many tourists will complain that they have travelled from afar and due to poor animal sightings, this tourist inflow will definitely be affected negatively. This in turn will affect employment, demand and business opportunities to thousands of local community stakeholders.

Another eye sore is that as per the Indian laws, grazing by cattle and collection of minor forest products are allowed in the buffer zones of PAs. One can see huge herds of domestic cattle, buffaloes, goats, etc in buffer zones of many PAs including the high profile Corbett, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambhor, etc. that are classified as tiger reserves! I wonder if the Government is proposing that 'eco tourists' be content with seeing thousands of domestic cattle grazing in the tourism zones, when they have travelled so far to come to view Indian wildife? Does the Government have any back up plans to ban cattle grazing and collection of minor forest products by local communities in buffer zones as they compete with herbivores for the same habitat?

There seems to be no coordination and control between the departments within each State and with other States. While MoEF is trying to control tourism in PAs, the Revenue Department is happily allowing the mushrooming of resorts along the fringes of these PAs. With less number of safari vehicles allowed in future, what purpose does it serve to approve business investments in more or excess tourist infrastructure around these PAs? This is a classic example of bad planning, poor management and right hand not knowing what the left hand does!

Finally, I strongly feel that the task of drafting 'ideal' ecotourism guidelines for all PAs in India is impractical and will turn out to be a pursuit in futility. Instead, MoEF should appoint a committee comprising of multi-stakeholders to look at site-specific ecotourism guidelines. For e.g. what may be good in Kanha Tiger Reserve may not be appropriate in Periyar Tiger Reserve. Buffer zones should be utilised for activities like bird watching and nature walks, conducted under strict supervision and only in certain areas. Ultimately, controlled wildlife tourism will discourage poachers and raise awareness that the forest and its resources are sacrosanct! Hopefully, with more funds earmarked for Project tiger in the coming years, the future will look brighter for tigers in India!

The year 2011 has begun rather grimly for the national animal of India.

Fateh Singh Rathore, who spent his lifetime in protecting the tigers of Ranthambhor, passed away recently. With him, India has lost one of the most dedicated and passionate tiger conservationist. His work in Ranthambhor is commendable and although he won’t be around, the work he started will continue through Tiger Watch, the organisation he founded. The Corbett Foundation extends its condolences to Fatehji's family.

Fourteen tigers have died so far in India; the last one being on February 19, 2011. Among these mortalities, four tigers have died from the Corbett landscape. One of them was a fine 10-year old male who was believed to be the ‘man-eater’ responsible for the recent human deaths in Corbett. While it is agreeable that the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) authorities and the State Government had to take action to prevent any further attacks on people of Corbett, couldn’t they have tranquilised the tiger instead of shooting it at close quarters? With every tiger being important, such knee-jerk reactions should be avoided in future and the decisions must be taken in the interest of the animal and the people. It is unfortunate that all this had to happen when the Government of Uttarakhand is celebrating the Platinum Jubilee Year of Corbett National Park. The Corbett Foundation sympathises with the grieving families of the victims and have given them token compensation. I hope that the tiger killed was indeed responsible for the attacks on people and that there are no further attacks.

In March 2011, tiger experts from all around the world would be visiting CTR. The delegation will be discussing various aspects of tiger conservation in Corbett landscapes through field visits, workshops and interaction with the locals. I hope this visit makes a positive impact on the conservation efforts taken in the Corbett landscape.

The Corbett Foundation has completed its relief work subsequent to the devastating floods in 2010. As part of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of CTR, our Awareness team will take 75 school groups on a guided visit to Corbett Tiger Reserve. The Kutch Ecological Research Centre has taken up a rain water harvesting project in Kutch that will ensure clean and sufficient drinking water for people and animals of Jatavandh village. Our divisions in Kanha and Bandhavgarh have initiated the much-needed health awareness programme among the tribals and other local populations. Shortly, five more villages in Kanha and Bandhavgarh will be provided with Solar Lanterns and other renewable energy alternatives thus making their dependency on the forest to bare minimum. Many more such grassroots and meaningful projects are planned by the Foundation in 2011 in partnership with like-minded corporate groups. I appeal to the corporate world to extend their kind support to the Foundation in achieving the harmony between nature and people.