The Tiger Roars Again: UP Government Notifies New Reserve at Pilibhit
The Tiger Roars Again: UP Government Notifies New Reserve at Pilibhit
In good news for wildlife and tiger conservationists as well as NGOs working in this field, the UP government has notified the Pilibhit Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve. The upgrade in the status is an effort by the government to speed up tiger conservation efforts in the state.
This is the third tiger reserve in UP following Dudhwa and Amangarh. While Dudhwa was notified in the year 1987, Amangarh in Bijnore received notification in 2012. It has been notified that the forest ranges of Mala, Barahi, Mahof, Haripur and Deoria will also serve as the Pilibhit tiger reserve from now on.
Government officials have indicated that the move to notify forest ranges in Pilibhit has tiger reserve is a bid to strengthen conservation efforts. Of the total 73,024.98 hectare area identified as the reserve, the core area will comprise 6279.8 hectares while the buffer zone spans 12,745.2 hectares. The buffer zone is in Sultanpur.
In a major score for the conservationists, the Pilibhit tiger reserve's inclusion in the Project Tiger is a positive move to attract financial support from the government at the Centre to strengthen the conservation movement and prevent poaching in many parts of this state.
Special secretary to the department of environment and forests, Pratibha Singh was quoted by media as providing information that the of the 118 cats big cats in UP, approximately 30 are in the Pilibhit area. This move of declaring Pilibhit as the tiger reserve will also speed up eco-tourism in the area.
Providing tiger reserve status to clusters of forests in Pilibhit commenced in the year 2008 with the approval granted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The terai belt where the tiger reserve is located is much like the Last of the Mohicans. It is one of the few Sal forest reserves in the world which is still existing. This area is ecologically fragile and sensitive. Apart from the Royal Bengal tiger, other rare specifies such as the Bengal florican, the swamp deer and the Indian leopard are also found in this forest area.
The government will now focus on habitat management and providing enough food for the animals so that they remain strong and do not leave forest areas in search of nourishment. There is currently no human settlement in the Philibhit forest and this means there is no need for relocation of villagers. The Pilibhit reserve is 225 km away from Lucknow and it is spread over 1000 sq km with parts in the Nepal border as well. The rich biodiversity of the forests must be preserved and this is certainly a good step towards that aim.
UP has also been in news recently for the high incidence of crimes against girls and women. Political leaders have made their “comments” and media have tried to raise the issue. But what is most needed right now is strict punishment for the perpetrators of the heinous rapes. Crime in any part of the country is disheartening. All State governments and the Centre need to provide secure and safe living and working environment for girls and women. Steps are needed in this direction in UP and other parts of the country.
Women need protection from abuse, exploitation and discrimination. Those who dare to raise their voice against molestation and rape deserve to be given justice, otherwise law and order will remain in name only, and not a reality. Safety for women in India has always been an area where not much has been done so far. If leaders are serious about protecting women, they should ensure that the criminals are punished. Law makers should use policy and legislation to create effective deterrents against crimes. The change has to come from those making and implementing the policies.
