Hyderabad: The Management Effective Evaluation (MEE) team from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) visited the Amrabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves and complimented the State Forest Department on its initiatives while making some recommendations, including creating a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for the two tiger reserves.
To assess the efficacy of the management strategies used by the various forest departments, the NTCA conducts the MEE exercise once every four years in each of the country’s tiger reserves.
As a result, from November 6 to November 9, and from November 10 to November 13, a three-person team led by a Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests inspected Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) and Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR).
The MEE team, which included former IFS Dhirendra Suman and retired IFS Nitin Kakodkar, met with the Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Chief Wildlife Warden RM Dobriyal, and other officials on Monday at Aranya Bhavan after finishing the assessment process.
The development of water sources and grasslands in KTR were among the habitat improvement efforts praised at the meeting by the NTCA’s MEE team. They noted that these actions will facilitate the movement of tigers from Maharashtra into KTR.
The team emphasized that the removal of two communities from the KTR core region will help to expand the number of protected sites for wild animals.
The field-level manpower availability in the form of Field Level Booth officers and other security personnel has significantly improved since the last evaluation study. However, there are still a few open positions that should be filled as soon as possible.
The decision to incorporate local communities in the upkeep and delegation of duty for the development and protection of tiger reserves was applauded. The MEE team commended the forest department’s efforts in creating rainwater collection pits and maintaining wild animal water sources in addition to managing natural grasslands.
MEE team recommendations
The MEE team advised during the conference that a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) be established for the two Tiger Reserves, with 112 staff members in each unit, as was done in Maharashtra.
It emphasized the prompt release of matching State share money under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS)
The PCCF RM Dobriyal gave the MEE team his word that the beedi leaf unit in KTR would be shut down right away and that declaring the KTR corridor region a conservation reserve would take precedence.
In addition, it planned to look into funding from the Tribal Welfare Department, as was done in Madhya Pradesh, and use CAMPA monies for the evacuation of communities from the core region. It was proposed as a Conservation Reserve / Sanctuary under the WLPA, 1972, giving the Tiger corridor in Kagaznagar and Asifabad Division Protected Area status.
It was proposed to look at ways to increase funding for the Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF) by engaging in eco-tourism activities and obtaining funding through corporate social responsibility (CST) and the initiatives are underway.
