Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 22 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to study the situation under the guidance of experts and immediately implement a special remedial plan to prevent human casualties due to tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district.
The plan includes providing special compensation to the families of those who died in tiger attacks over the last five years and relocating additional tigers, among other measures. Fadnavis, who is also the guardian minister of Gadchiroli district, has directed officials to submit a report on the matter within three months.
The Chief Minister has taken serious note of the loss of human lives due to tiger attacks. As the Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, he has instructed authorities to take immediate cognizance of citizens’ demands and suggest a remedial plan.
He also directed that a plan be prepared under the guidance of Pravin Pardeshi, CEO of Mitra Sanstha. Consequently, Pardeshi held a meeting of senior forest officials in Nagpur, where they discussed the remedial measures and issued directives for their implementation.
Notably, more than 50 people have lost their lives in tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district over the past five years, particularly in areas of Gadchiroli, Charmoshi, Armori, Vadsa and Dhanora.
After assessing the situation in Gadchiroli, authorities have been instructed to relocate additional tigers from the district within three months.
CM Fadnavis has also directed officials to collect information on citizens who have died in tiger attacks in the last five years and provide special compensation to their families.
A meeting was held under Fadnavis’ guidance to review the situation and prepare a plan, during which various measures were discussed.
It was decided to thin out teak trees in Chaparala and Pranhita Sanctuary in Gadchiroli district and increase the availability of pasture to promote the growth of the herbivore population, ensuring sufficient prey for carnivores.
It was also decided in the meeting to appoint a ‘forest Patil,’ similar to a police patrol officer in every village. To reduce the need for locals to venture into forests for firewood, officials decided to encourage grass production in villagers’ fields for use in compressed biogas (CBG) production. A CBG plant will also be set up for this purpose.
The meeting further resolved to implement measures such as conducting e-panchnama to expedite compensation for crop damage caused by wild animals, conducting a social and economic assessment of the locals for the relocation of six villages in Chaparala Sanctuary due to rising tiger population, and identifying new sites for rehabilitation.
Experts from organizations such as the Wildlife Institute, which specializes in human-wildlife conflict mitigation, will be appointed to devise effective measures. The preparation of a mitigation plan for endangered and sensitive areas was also discussed.
It was observed that tigers involved in human-wildlife conflicts are often older. As a result, officials emphasized the need for a strategic approach to the relocation of such tigers.
The meeting was attended by the State’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Force Chief), Shomita Biswas, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Vivek Khandekar, Chief Conservator of Forests and Area Director of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Dr. Ramchandra Ramgaonkar, Chief Conservator of Forests of Gadchiroli Forest Circle S. Rameshkumar and others. (ANI)
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