Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 1: At the cost of risk to the lives of endangered animal species and sheer violation of Supreme Court guidelines and Wild Life Act, the nomads have been habilitated in Ramnagar/Manda Wild Life Sanctuary on the outskirts of Jammu city.
Though most of the senior J&K Forest and Wild Life Department officers are well aware of this illegal and unlawful activity, yet they have maintained criminal silence and turned blind eye towards this issue of highly sensitive nature. About four camps of the Bakerwals inside the Notified Ramnagar Wild Life Sanctuary, popularly known as Manda Wild Life Park right from Ashoka Hotel up to J&K High Court boundary and then in the north up to Army Signal’s communication location at the ridge, just closer to Lohar Water Supply point of the PHE.
According to sources within the WL department, in last five to six years, there has been sharp decrease in the number of wild life animals in the sanctuary. At present the number of these wild life animal species including spotted deer ( Cheetal), barking deer ( Parha), Neelgai etc has reached around 200. There is large number of red jungle fowl but its number too, has considerably gone down with the constant trespassing and habilitation of nomad families along with their cattle and bull dogs. The free movement of dogs inside sanctuary has posed great threat to the life of the endangered animal species.
While the Bollywood actor Salman Khan is facing trial in deer hunting case, the J&K Wild Life department has yet to take cognizance of the hunting down of the spotted deer (Schedule-II animals) by the dogs of Bakerwals camping inside Wild Life Sanctuary. It is matter of great surprise that how Wild Life department officers allowed habilitation inside Sanctuary area. And, who were the Forest Officers, who gave such permissions in sheer violation of Wild Life Act, inside and even closer to the Wild Life Sanctuary.
Most of the senior officers maintained silence over the matter while some tried to pass a buck to the other wing officials, absolving themselves of the matter. Spotted deer was killed two days back just closer to the fencing of the Wild Life Sanctuary. The department claims that postmortem report of deer is yet awaited and they are waiting for the same. They can take cognizance only after that.
The sources disclosed that Bakerwals- Iqbal, Manzoor, Ashraf and Noora are camping inside the Wild Life Sanctuary for the last several months while three camps are just 20 to 30 meters closer to the fencing of this Wild Life reserve. The gates which usually are kept closed by the Wild Life Wardens to restrict trespassing inside and ensure safety of the wild life animals are now usually seen open for the last several years. No senior officers ever bothers to monitor activities and go to the field. They just sit inside AC rooms and then leave for their homes. He said this illegal and unlawful activity is being encouraged by the Forest and Wild Life Department officers for the last 5-6 years. Either they were under political pressure or they were least bothered about the safety of the endangered animal species. They seem to be just buying time to complete their tenure in the WL wing.
The sources further said that notified area of this Ramnagar Wild Life Sanctuary is around 32 sq km but at present it has been rendered around 12 sq km but practically it is reduced to nearly 8 sq kms. Most of the area has not been handed over to the Wild Life by the Forest department. The movement of the animals has been restricted with increasing trespassing and illegal poaching on the animals which the department denies. But insiders claim that their number has reduced from nearly 300 to just 200 in last five-six years.
Excelsior team which managed to enter Sanctuary area without any much difficulty found three gates left opened by the field staff for free movement of any one. One of the largest habilitation of nomads was found just down the ridge near Army’s communication Station near Water Tank, another just closer to the J&K High Court’s Judicial Academy and another in the middle in the nullah. A minor nomad boy Rashid, who was grazing sheep inside the Sanctuary, told that he was student of class 4th. He also revealed the name of his father and disclosed that they were staying here in winters for the last two-three years. He also disclosed that they were in Sonamarg area during summers. The nomad families alleged to have punctured big PHE pipes to create small water pools to get water and also fulfill the need of their goats/ sheep etc. Some pools are so dirty that this contaminated and unhygienic water enter into the PHE pipes and goes with the fresh water being supplied through these pipes to the city areas. But the PHE department is also sleeping over the issue.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer and expert on Wild Life and Forest matters Ritwick Dutta from Delhi when contacted said that in National Park and Wild Life Sanctuary, tresspassing, grazing or any kind of habilitation is strictly prohibited under Wild Life Act. He said the killing of Schedule – II animal as mentioned in Jammu Sanctuary is non-cognizable and non-bailable offence and accused can be punished under stringent Wild Life Act and officers of the Department are competent enough to exercise their powers. There is little relaxation for the conservation reserves where grazing can be allowed but no habilitation at all. Even in J&K, the grazing for the nomads in sanctuary is allowed only if the area is notified by the Chief Wild Life Warden as per the Act and approved by the State Cabinet. Mr Dutta said for the protection of Wild Life including and endangered and rare animal species, there are strict apex court rulings.
Former Chief Wild Life Warden and Regional Secretary WWF-Nature India, Dr C M Seth when contacted said that killing of spotted deer, a Schedule-II endangered animal species at Wild Life Sanctuary is a matter of serious concern. He said as per the Wild Life Act, to habilitate nomads or others inside the Sanctuary or even closer to the sanctuary area is illegal and serious crime. Those who have done it are well aware of this fact. They can not escape the responsibility. He said that it was non-bailable offence and department should take action against the people responsible for it. He also expressed his serious concern over the depleting number of endangered species in the sanctuary and encouragement of such activities by some officers in Jasrota, Mansar-Surinsar Wild Life Sanctuaries.
Dr Seth said that even during Maharaja’s times, Bahu Rakh and Ramnagar Rakh on both sides of the river Tawi had been well preserved. They were considered to be the life line and lungs of Jammu city but now Bahu Game Reserve/ Bahu Conservation reserve and Ramnagar/ Manda Wild Life Sanctuaries have been badly affected with the depleting forest cover and rapid habilitation encouraged by some politicians and vested interests. It will further deplete the water recharge to the river Tawi in coming years and increase temperature of the area.
Regional Wild Life Warden, Jammu Roshan Jaggi when contacted claimed that nomads are generally habilitated outside the Wild Life Sanctuary area. He claimed that spotted deer was killed near the fencing of the Ramnagar Wild Life Sanctuary just ahead of High Court. There were wounds on the back side of the animal. Two Veterinary surgeons performed postmortem and the report is yet awaited. It is not clear up to now whether animal was killed by a leopard or dogs of Bakerwals. Mr Jaggi said that accordingly, the action will be taken by the department but as of now, no case has been registered.
Replying to a question, Wild Life Warden admitted that Sanctuary was not fully fenced and it was porous at several locations. There are reports of tress-passing as the nomads enter for grazing. When asked why nomads were allowed inside the Sanctuary posing threat to the wild life inside, the WLW claimed that he will get report from the field staff as he was not fully aware of it. But he admitted that there is need to plug the Wild Life Sanctuary area and discourage the past practice of illegal tresspass or grazing. He also admitted that habilitation or any type of construction is banned as per the Wild Life Act within even more than five km of the area but it is not so in case of this Wild Life sanctuary. He said as notified by the Wild Life Department there is 32.5 sq km area of this Sanctuary but at present only 12.5 sq km was with the department now while rest was lying with the Forest department. The process of acquiring that area from Territorial Forest was in process. Moreover, they give permission to the nomads to establish temporary habilitations in Forest locations on the recommendation of grazing committee.
Mr Jaggi denied any political pressure on him for habilitation of nomads there but maintained that it was clearly against the guidelines and provisions of the Wild Life Act. He also referred to some other illegal activities encouraged in the Wild Life protected area which also include lying of water pipes and electric poles in the area.
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