41 Tigers Dead in 10 Year in Kawal Tiger Circle

Hyderabad: The Kawal tiger reserve and the tiger corridor forest areas in Asifabad and Kagaznagar forest divisions districts that connect the reserve to Maharashtra’s rich tiger landscape, have lost 41 tigers in the last 10 years, either to poaching or to electrified snares set up by villagers to poach other wildlife such as wild boar or deer.

“In the Kawal tiger reserve circle which includes the corridor forests, we believe 41 tigers have died in ten years. This is not an absolutely accurate figure but the best guesstimate we can make,” a source in the forest department said. The shockingly huge number of tigers that have gone missing, or have been killed, in the circle was discussed at a meeting between forest and electricity department officials following a report in these columns on August 14 on how most power connections there were illegal.

The source explained that the Asifabad and Kaghaznagar divisions constitute a critical route for the movement of tigers into the Kawal tiger reserve. “Large areas of forest along these corridors have been encroached upon,” he said.

In all, according to official estimates, some 1,20,883 acres of reserve forest land – which also forms part of the tiger corridor areas — is under encroachment in the Kawal tiger reserve circle, but, of this, the forest department has only managed to retrieve 2,100 acres.

Admitting that encroachment and associated human activities resulted in considerable disturbance to tiger habitats, an official said that these were one of the primary factors in migrating tigers not settling down within the reserve. The encroachments and disturbance have impacted available prey base too for the big cats, the official added. It may be recalled that Kawal has not had a resident tiger in the last 13 years and even the latest All India Tiger Estimation earlier this year, found no proof of any resident tigers in the reserve.

Illegal power lines in Kawal to be removed

The state electricity department has agreed to take steps to remove all illegal power connections inside the Kawal tiger reserve and the tiger corridor areas which together fall under the Kawal tiger circle in the erstwhile Adilabad district.

The decision to remove illegal power connections, reroute some lines to outside forest areas where possible were among the decisions taken at a meeting of Kawal tiger reserve officials and those from the Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGNPDCL) in Mancherial on Thursday, it was learnt.

The meeting followed a directive to the forest department from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take steps for removal of all power lines and connections that were laid and given in the forest areas without the requisite approvals. The NTCA directive followed a report in these columns, ‘Most power supply in Kawal is illegal’ (August 14), which also highlighted how illegal power lines — stretching over 856 km in the Kawal tiger reserve circle — were contributing to poaching of wildlife inside the tiger reserve.

To start with, the two departments will classify the power lines and connections with and without forest clearance approvals. It is learnt that forest officials made it clear to TGNPDCL officials that all electrical lines passing through forest without Forest Conservation Act, 1980 permission have to be removed in phased manner.

For a start, another meeting, scheduled for the last week of this month, will identify illegal power lines and connections in two or three villages inside the forest, which will then have to be removed by the end of this year. “This work of removing power lines cannot be done overnight and will have to be done in a phase-wise manner. But the electricity officials were informed about the extent of the problem, and the steps needed to be taken, a forest department official told Deccan Chronicle. And where possible, the electricity department can apply for permissions which will then be acted upon as per the provisions of the FC Act, the official added.

Infograph

Making power safer in tiger reserve

Bare electrical conductors passing through forest areas to be replaced with covered conductor cables to minimise the risk of electrocution to wildlife and forest personnel.

Where possible, existing power lines to be realigned outside forest areas.

In unavoidable locations, vulnerable power lines to be insulated using aerial bunched cables.

Particularly in sensitive wildlife areas, underground cables to be installed.

TGNPDCL says 400 km of covered cables are sanctioned for the Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Adilabad and Nizamabad districts.

No more fresh power connections in podu patta land.