Hyderabad: The forest fepartment is planning a first-of-its-kind relocation of the Indian gaur (Indian bison). If its plans succeed, then the Amrabad tiger reserve extending over Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts, could become a new home for the endangered species that once roamed in large numbers in northern Telangana districts.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also decided to crack down on use of plastics in the Amrabad and Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam tiger reserve (NSTR) that share a common border in the Krishna river.
"With the temple town of Srisailam located on the banks of the river in Andhra Pradesh, which forms a large pocket inside NSTR and is a big draw for pilgrims from the two Telugu states, plastic waste thrown by people travelling to and from the temple is a huge challenge," AP's principal chief conservator of forests (head of forest force) Chiranjiv Choudhary said.
He, along with his Telangana counterpart R.M. Dobriyal and senior forest and wildlife officials from the two states, met in Domalapenta near the Srisailam dam on Sunday, to discuss the plastic ban implementation in the two tiger reserves, sharing of information on movement of wildlife from one side of the river to the other, possibility of joint patrols of the river, and relocation of the gaur. Choudhary said the AP forest department has asked the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India to study the possibility of bringing the gaur to the NSTR.
Telangana is exploring the possibility of introducing the gaur into the Amrabad tiger reserve, Dobriyal said. Though the proposal is in its very initial stages, source populations of the animal have been identified in Papikonda wildlife sanctuary in AP, Kawal tiger reserve and forests of Satthupalli in Khammam district, he said.
The immediate big challenge for the two forest departments is implementing the plastic ban. The administration of the Srisailam temple town has banned plastic water bottles and pilgrims can now purchase drinking water in glass bottles.
While AP has banned the use of plastic bottles or single use plastics in NSTR, Telangana Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari had recently announced a similar ban in the Amrabad tiger reserve.
"In the next 20 days or so, there will be signages along the highway reaching Amrabad about the ban, and alternates for plastic drinking water bottles will be available for people to purchase, be it glass or steel bottles,” Dobriyal said.
“As far as ready-to-eat snack packs are concerned, every vehicle passing through the reserve will be inspected and if plastic snack packs are found, then the contents will have to be carried in a paper or a cloth bag that will be available," Dobriyal said.
