Devout to be briefed on forest norms
Representational image
Chennai: In a first of its kind effort, foresters attached to Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve have started counselling temple priests and religious heads on conservation. Besides chanting mantras and performing prayers, the religious heads will now have to brief their devout on forest norms that have to be followed during their pilgrimage.
"Tiger reserves have temples, mosque and churches and sensitising religious heads towards forest management is to reduce carbon footprint in pristine forests," said conservation scientist, A. Kumaraguru, member, Sathyamangalam Tiger Conservation Foundation, National Tiger Conservation Authority.
A high-level team led by district forest official and rangers are now working on the new initiative. To encourage local tribes and to prevent them from poaching, an entry fee is collected from devout thronging to visit the places of worship located in Sathyamangalam, he said. After counselling the priests on do's and dont's in the forest reserve, they will be taught on the nuances of wildlife and bird watching as part of conservation efforts, Kumaraguru added.
Meanwhile the state forest department had also started counselling the local tribes to prevent the incidence of poaching in Sathyamangalam. "We have got some information from Interpol on specific offenders involved in tiger and other wildlife poaching operating in Nilgiri biosphere and a project to track the tribal families with anti forest activities in the past is on track," said a forest official. Steps are underway to rebuild 25 anti poaching watcher teams, the official added.
"Satymangalam plan will be more effective in controlling the crowd movement inside Tiger reserve. Similar action plan should also be introduced in Kalakad Mundanthurai tiger reserve (KMTR) in Tiruneveli, where footfall of pilgrims is heavy during auspicious days" said wildlife enthusiast S. Karthick, a regular trekker there.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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