J'khand: Palamau Tiger Reserve officials demand armed forest guards to combat poachers

Ranchi, Sep 14 (PTI) The authorities of Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) have urged the Jharkhand government to form an armed brigade of forest personnel, as poachers and wildlife smugglers have become active in the protected area, an official said on Sunday.

The formation of such an armed group is essential, as at least 12 unarmed personnel were killed by poachers and timber smugglers in the reserve forest in the last three decades, he said.

On August 20, nine armed poachers were arrested in the reserve area, and eight country-made guns, 400 grams of gunpowder, 14 grams of sulfur, a tiger trap, a noose, an axe, and animal parts were recovered from their possession.

Those arrested had admitted that they had killed a tiger at Chandwa Chattan in the Garu forest area of the reserve 10 years back, besides hunting wild boars, deer and other animals in the protected forest.

In addition, four poachers were arrested in the reserve area on August 17.

A forest guard with a stick had a close shave while chasing the poachers, as one of the perpetrators fired at him, the official said.

"Forest guards were earlier armed with weapons to deal with poachers and timber smugglers. After the rise in Maoist activities in the state, their weapons were taken back around 1990, as red rebels used to attack them and snatch their weapons," PTR deputy director Prajesh Jena told PTI.

The situation has changed now, and most of the places, including the PTR, have become free from Maoists, he said.

Budha Pahad, which falls in the buffer zone of the PTR, was once a Maoist hotbed and the mountainous terrain was dotted by land mines. The area was made free from the clutches of Maoists in 2022, according to the Jharkhand Police.

"However, the threat of illegal activities such as poaching, timber smuggling and encroachment has increased. We have urged the government to form an armed brigade of forest guards and ensure their training to deal with forest crimes." A forest armed force in Assam was constituted, and after that, there was a huge decline in poaching in Kaziranga National Park, he said.

"In Odisha, a special task force was constituted, combining forest and police officials. There are armed forces to protect forests in several other states," Jena added.

"The PTR authorities have lost at least 12 forest guards fighting with armed poachers and smugglers since 1990.

The PTR authorities observe 'Martyrs Day' every year on September 11 to pay tribute to the forest guards who lost their lives in the protection of wildlife.

Former state wildlife board member DS Srivastava said that he has been raising the issue for several years.

"Police manual powers should also be given to the forest guards, as such measures have been taken in many states. The poachers and smugglers are armed with sophisticated weapons. How can forest guards fight with them with bamboo sticks?" Srivastava told PTI.

If forest guards are equipped with arms, wildlife crimes would automatically come down, he said.

Srivastava said that there is also no encouragement for forest guards.

"If any forest guard dies while fighting with poachers or smugglers, he is not entitled to the benefits akin to what a policeman gets," he added.

The PTR is spread over an area of 1,129.93 sq km, in which 414.08 sq km is marked as the core area, a critical tiger habitat, and the remaining 715.85 sq km as the buffer zone.

Of the total area, 226.32 sq km is designated as Betla National Park, and in the buffer zone, 53 sq km is open for tourists.

Established in 1974 under Project Tiger, the 1,129-sq-km Palamau Tiger Reserve was once considered a habitat for a thriving population of big cats – 22 in 1972 and a peak of 71 in 1995, according to former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Jharkhand, Pradeep Kumar’s 2016 book ‘Main Baagh Hoon’.

Thereafter, the population of big cats declined to 44 in 1997, 34 in 2002, 10 in 2010, and 3 in 2014, according to the book.

As per the 2023 All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) report, the reserve had one tiger.

However, the PTR authorities have claimed to have captured the movement of five tigers based on camera images and other evidence.

A senior forest official said that armed forest guards are not available in any of the forests in the state. PTI SAN BDC