Imtiaz Ahmed
Jawahar Tunnel Chakore Conservation Reserve is situated in Tehsil Banihal in District Ramban. This reserve is located at a distance of about 10 Km from Banihal town and the old National Highway-44 traverses through the Chakore Conservation Reserve.
The Conservation Reserve is located in the Jurisdiction of Wildlife Division Chenab Kishtwar and this reserve is located between compartments 46/Banihal and compartments 47/Banihal. The Conservation Reserve encompasses an area of 4893 acres (19.572 Sqkm) and the area morphologically approximates to a crescent shape. Geomorphologically the Conservation Reserve is bounded on the North by the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain Range and to the south lies the town of Banihal. The Jawahar Tunnel is located just outside the southern limits of the Conservation Reserve.
The Chakore found in this reserve is 32-35cm long partridge with a light brown back,grey breast and buff belly. The shades vary across the various populations. The face is white with black gorget. It has rufous-streaked flanks, red legs and coral red bill. Sexes are similar, the female slightly smaller in size and lacking the spur. Chakore takes a wide variety of seeds and some insects as food and it also digests grit.
Legally the Jawahar Tunnel Chakore Conservation Reserve was cleared by the cabinet for notifying a Game Reserve vide Order No. FST/20 of 1981 Dated: 4 Feb 1981 and by the amendment to the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Act in 2002 all the game reserves have been deemed to be converted to Conservation Reserve. The area was being managed by the Forest Department until recently and now area has been handed over to the wildlife Department in the month of July 2012 and is managed by the Wildlife Department.
The terrain of this conservation areas is very rugged and mountainous with moderate to steep slope. The tract is located on the southern aspects of the Pir Panjal Range forming the upper most catchment of the Banihal Nallah. The precipitation is in the form of snow and rain. The area predominantly receives precipitation in the winter months and it remains covered by thick blanket of snow in the months of December to March. The area is interspersed by small and medium sized nallahs and amongst these nallas Taniwadnalla, TetharNalla and TakhiaNalla are perennial and fed by the small glaciers atop the pirpanjal ridge.
The area has scant growth of plants owing to the harsh edaphic conditions and shrubs of Vibernum, Berberis and Wild Grasses are predominantly seen. Such bushy outcrop acts as ideal cover for the habitation and breeding of Chakore. Along with chakore are occasionally seen Jungle Cat, Indian fox, Indian Porcupine etc
This Year Department of Wildlife is going to establish one Wildlife Check Post and One Control Office near this Reserve for its better conservation and management.
(The author is JKAS Officer and is presently posted as Tehsildar Banihal)
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