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Gariaband encounter puts spotlight on 3 major tiger reserves in Central India

Raipur: The recent encounter between the security forces and Maoists in a forest in Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh has put spotlight on three major tiger reserves in Central India affected by the Naxal menace.

The Maoists’ red corridor, developed over the years, passes through these three tiger reserves hitting hard the conservation in these famous wildlife sanctuaries.

The three tiger reserves are Udanti Sitanadi and Indravati in Chhattisgarh and Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Of them, the Indravati Tiger Reserve (ITR) in Bijapur district in south Bastar is the worst affected by the Leftwing extremism.

“Around 40-50 percent of the 2,799.08 sq km-ITR has remained inaccessible (for the forest staff) due to the Leftwing extremism issue, affecting conservation.

The tiger estimation exercise during the census of the big cat could not be carried out due to this”, ITR field director Sandeep Balaga told this newspaper on Wednesday.

The core area of the reserve, spanning 1,258.37, is considered critical tiger habitat.

Major impediment before the tiger estimation exercise is threat by the Maoists not to install cameras, used for camera traps during tiger estimation, particularly in the reserve forests, known to be Maoist strongholds.

Maoists fear that installation of cameras in the reserve will help security forces monitor their movements.

“Around eight to ten tigers have been spotted in the reserve”, the forest officer said.

The reserve is known for its diverse wildlife and bird species, including the endangered species like wild buffalos and hill mynas.

The two species, significantly, are declared state animal and state bird respectively by the Chhattisgarh government for their preservation.

One range alone in the reserve is estimated to house 12-15 wild buffalos.

Sources said that the inaccessibility to the core areas has led to massive illicit felling of teak trees in the reserve.

No wonder, the fame of ITR being the largest teak wood forest in the country has become the ‘thing of past’ now due to the large-scale timber smuggling.

Wildlife conservation is also seriously hit in Udanti Sitanadi tiger reserve due to the Leftwing extremism.

Sixteen Maoists including a Central Committee (CC) member carrying Rs one crore bounty were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kuljhadghat forest under the tiger reserve on January 21.

“All the eight ranges in the 1,854 sq km-reserve are affected by the Leftwing extremism to varied extents. The Maoist movements restrict foot patrolling, and the night patrolling. This patrolling gap has thus created is filled by the timber smugglers and poachers”, deputy director of the reserve Varun Jain told this newspaper.

According to him, 30 percent area of the reserve has remained inaccessible to the forest staff due to the menace affecting the conservation.

Notified as a tiger reserve in 2009, no tiger has been spotted in the wildlife sanctuary since 2023.

In the famous Kanha National Park, which is home to over 145 tigers, Maoists have been able to create base in some forested area, but they use the base as their ‘silent zone’ for hideout when they face pressure by the security forces in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, a senior forest officer of the reserve told this newspaper, unwilling to be quoted.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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