Telangana Issues GO 49, Creates New Tiger Corridor

 Adilabad: The state government has officially designated the tiger corridor between Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve as the Komaram Bheem Conservation Reserve, under Section 36A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The declaration was notified through Government Order No. 49, issued on May 30.

With this move, the focus will shift to strengthening tiger conservation efforts in the reserve, including dedicated funding and the recruitment of additional personnel to support protection and management initiatives.

The initiative aims to bolster protection around existing and proposed protected areas, promote sustainable environmental and socio-economic outcomes, and align local community interests with wildlife conservation and habitat preservation.

Deccan Chronicle had highlighted inadequate conservation efforts in the Kagaznagar forest division, where incidents of tiger poaching have been steadily increasing.

The state government's decision gains significance in light of the growing incidents of tiger killings and poaching in the corridor area of the Kagaznagar Forest Division. The region has witnessed a sharp decline in tiger presence over the past six years, with only a few migratory tigers settling in the area. Many have returned to their original habitats in Maharashtra, while some have gone missing over the past decade.

The move is also crucial for strengthening protection, preserving habitat integrity, and ensuring seamless wildlife connectivity across the existing network of protected areas in Telangana, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.

The proposed Conservation Reserve forms a vital link in the wildlife corridor that connects Kawal Tiger Reserve with Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), Kanhargaon, Tippeshwar, and Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuaries, as well as the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh.

The designated area spans the Kagaznagar and Asifabad Forest Divisions in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. This move will offer enhanced protection to local wildlife, including large carnivores, and safeguard the habitat of over 240 bird species that thrive in the region.

The Komaram Bheem Conservation Reserve spans an area of 1,492.88 square kilometres within the Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.

The state government will establish a Conservation Reserve Management Committee, with the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) serving as the member secretary. The 12-member committee will include representatives from three NGOs and the Sarpanches of Karji, Motlaguda, Murliguda, and Kammergoan gram panchayats.

However, the designation of the corridor as the Komaram Bheem Conservation Reserve has raised concerns among local communities, with some fearing that their villages may eventually be relocated from the reserve area to the plains.

Adivasi leader Kodapa Shankar of the Raj Gond Seva Samiti in Nagapelli village, Bejjur mandal, warned that they will strongly oppose any attempt by the forest department to create panic among Adivasis or to displace their villages, which would threaten their livelihoods.

He alleged that the forest department declared the Conservation Reserve without obtaining consent from Adivasi gram panchayats or conducting mandatory gram sabhas, thereby violating provisions of the PESA Act.

Shankar stated that they had approached senior forest officials and urged them to hold a meeting with the Adivasi community to discuss the proposed Conservation Reserve, but their request was ignored.

Reports indicate that residents of several villages in Penchikalpet mandal are unhappy with the recent mass arrests of 38 individuals in connection with the death of a tigress. They allege that forest officials should have focused on apprehending the actual culprits instead of indiscriminately detaining a large number of people.