How can Government hold “Public hearing” legally for buffer notification?

Press Release

After the reports appearing in one or two news papers about the “public hearing” on notifying buffer area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve  under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 scheduled on 25th February 2010, Satpuda Foundation has taken a strong objection and called it as an another attempt from mining lobby.

Kishor Rithe, President of Satpuda Foundation has issued the press release today and strongly objected on any such “Public hearing” if at all it is being scheduled. The “public hearing” or “Public consultation” is conducted under Environment Protection Act 1986 for certain projects and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve buffer does not fall under such project. How can anybody call a "public hearing" on this?

Kishor Rithe who was also a member on the committee to notify the buffer of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve has stated that the “buffer” of Tadoba Andhari Critical Tiger Habitat is getting notified under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 as amended in 2006.

The Field Director had already consulted all 79 villages in the buffer of TATR and had submitted their views by the report to the “buffer” committee. The wildlife wing had promised to address their fuel wood, fodder issues through a comprehensive management plan and finally the state committee had recommended the “buffer”.

The state Government can now straight issue the notification of buffer. We had already pointed out this delay in issuing notification to Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) Mr. B. P. Pandey in presence of Mr. Jairam Ramesh the Union Minister for Environment and Forest during their recent visit to TATR on 26th and 27th January 2010.

Arranging any “public hearing” or “Public consultation” again, may attract the legal implications. “The possibility of some efforts by mining lobby to oppose the buffer by raising some irrelevant issues can not be ruled out”, Satpuda Foundation stated further.

The 20 days long international course organised by Satpuda Foundation in collaboration with the S.G.B. Amravati University, Amravati, Environment Education and Conservation Global (EECG), USA, Wildlife Department of Maharashtra and Nature Conservation Society, Amravati (NCSA) in ‘Education as a tool for species conservation with a focus on tiger in India’ concluded successfully.

The course was conducted from November 2 to 20, 2009 at Amravati. This is the first such course of international importance which has been organised in India. The course was modelled after course that EECG has conducted in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution in China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Namibia.

18 selected delegates from Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh and different parts of India participated in this course. You may read about the course in the report here.

Be a Wildlife Conservation Trainer!

• How to conduct nature study camp?

• How to guide nature walks-explaining bio-diversity importance properly? What to explain students going for a nature walk in the jungle?

• How to conduct different nature games?

• How to conduct different field assignments (on conservation and livelihood issues) given to students?

• Time Management and activity management.

• Jungle ethics, Discipline required for sustainable living.

• The ways of giving back to mother earth something----Learning at Muthawa centre.

• You will get ample knowledge about hard-core conservation issues through lectures of experts.

Nature Conservation Society Amravati and Satpuda Foundation has launched a joint programme for young conservationist to become a professional "Wildlife Conservation Trainer" The interested young nature lovers would be given an opportunity to learn the training techniques under the experts like Prof. Nishikant Kale, Kishor Rithe, Prof. Prakash Laddha and Dr. G.N. Vankhede. The specialised training would be given while conducting different training programmes for CBSE school students in Melghat. The young nature lovers can apply for this programme.

If selected, you would be provided an opportunity to participate in the training programme. You will get the certificate of completion at the end of the programme. If the person undergoes at least 4 such training programmes, we will assess them and award them the certificate as a "Wildlife Conservation Trainer". We will also provide these qualified trainers an opportunity to work with NCSA and SF in arranging several training programmes for us in the Satpuda Landscape for which they will also receive honorarium along with travel and other expenses. 

Qualification: You should have completed your graduation (in any branch) but MUST have a passion to become the wildlife conservation trainer.

The Training fees: The training fees for trainees would be only Rs.500 per course. This includes mainly their food expenses. They need to bear their own travel and other expenses. Free accommodation and training material.

Win this opportunity today only! Apply for Feb and March training programmes as follows-  

1 Feb-6 Feb 2010

15 Feb-20 Feb 2010

22 Feb to 27 Feb 2010

12 March to 16 March 2010 

Selection: The applicants should contact-Rajashree Khalap ( rajashree.khalap@gmail.com), Manish Sawankar ( manish.sawankar@gmail.com) and Dinesh Kothari (dineshkothari1@gmail.com) and submit their applications. We encourage electronic communication only. The applicants would be informed about their selection in six working days from the date of their application.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had declared a Sahyadri as a tiger reserve "in principle"— the fourth in the state after Melghat, Tadoba-Andhari and Pench.However today the Maharashtra state has issued the notification of the same.

The NTCA nod came at a meeting held on May 21, 2008 which also cleared creation of three more new tiger reserves in the country (Sunabeda in Orissa, Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh.) and Nagarahole national park in Karnatka to be treated as a tiger reserve.

A three-member expert committee comprising principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), wildlife, B Majumdar, chief conservator of forests (CCF) Dr Nand Kishore, and wildlife conservationist Kishor Rithe was formed for identification and delineation of core or critical tiger habitat in tiger reserves under Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. The committee proposed to declare four areas Sahyadri, Tadoba, Pench and Melghat as critical tiger habitats (CTHs) on December 30, 2007. Later the proposal was sent to NTCA on 9th May 2008.

Maharashtra State’s Critical Tiger Habitat Expert Committee member Mr.Kishor Rithe even met Union Minister Mr.S.Regupathy in 2008 in Delhi to firmly put this demand. Mumbai based Environmentalist Mr.Debi Goenka, Keen naturalist bureaucrat Mr. Praveen Pardeshi also supported this proposal. The Maharashtra state had sent the proposal to NTCA on 9th May 2008 which got clearance "in principal" from NTCA in their meeting.The next requirement will be from the state to issue the notification.

Today the state has issued the same. Kishor Rithe also expressed thanks to former Chief Wildlife Warden       Mr. B Majumdar for his support for this reserve. The status of tiger reserve to Sahyadri will help in bring in more funds. Besides, integrity of the area will be secured by getting highest level of protection.”

What is Sahyadri Tiger Reserve?

Sahyadri Tiger Reserve would comprise of two protected areas, viz Chandoli National Park and Koyana wildlife sanctuary.

The Chandoli National Park:
The forest area of 317.67 sq.km was declared as Chandoli National Park in 2004.
The forest area comes in Walva (Sangali), Chiplun(Ratnagiri), Karad (Satara) and Karvir(Kolhapur) tahsils. There are 3 villages which are deeply situated in the National Park and demanding the resettlement package since long, would now get the 10 Lakh per family package announced recently by Government of India.

The National Park (NP) is situated mostly along the crest of the western Ghats, named after Chandoli village. The NP lies between Koyana and Radhanagari sanctuaries. Semi evergreen forest. Some of the pristine forest patches and the human settlements were submerged under the Verna reservoir. The forest have recorded the presence of Indian Giant squirrel and mouse deer.Origin of Verna river and the entire catchments of recently built Vasant sagar reservoir are protected by this NP.
Two 17th century forts,Prachitgadh and Bhairavgadh are located in and around the sanctuary. Shivaji Raje and Sambhaji raje had used these forts as open air jails for “prisoners of war” and as an observation point cum recreational facility “Sadas”, the lateritic plateaus with seasonal vegetation, fallen boulders, small caves and overhanging cliffs provide good habitat for Sloth bears.

Koyana Wildlife Sanctuary:
The 423.55 sq.km forest of Koyana wildlife sanctuary was declared as sanctuary in 1985. It is situated in Satara and Karad tahsil of Satara district of Kolhapur wildlife division. The sanctuary is the catchment of Koyana river and thereby helping the Koyana dam too. However the forest area has supported a rich flora and fauna, typically of Western Ghats.

There are 12 villages situated deep inside the forest area of Koyana sanctuary which would get the benefit of 10Lakh per family resettlement package now, with this announcement.

As per the amended WPA rules, the reserve will also have a buffer zone apart from its existing area of 741.22 sq km, constituting Chandoli National Park (317.67 sq km) and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary (423.55 sq km), under the Kolhapur Wildlife Division. The will bring more money for village eco-development schemes.

In 2007 estimation, the Kolhapur wildlife division has estimated to have nine tigers and 66 leopards in the reserve.

With this decision, Maharashtra has got the fourth Tiger Reserve and this would be the first Tiger Reserve in the remaining Maharashtra as all the earlier three reserves are situated in Vidarbha region.This decision would bring the huge money for the Tiger protection in the western Ghats from the centre.