TIGERS OF Tadoba Andhari, Maharashtra’s largest reserve for the wild cat, are once again banking on their human well-wishers for survival. A dam proposed on the river Human (pronounced Hooman) at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district threatens to submerge more than 90 per cent of a 7-km forest area. The project not only falls in TATR buffer zone, but also the eco-sensitive zone of Ghodazari Wildlife Sanctuary closeby. It will break the only linking corridor for tiger movement between TATR, Ghodazari and Umred-Karhandla wildlife sanctuaries in the state.
At present, the tigers freely step out of the 1,724-sq km TATR, go up to UmredKarhandla in Nagpur, travel to Nagzira tiger reserve in Bhandara and reach Navegaon National Park in Gondia, covering 100-120 km. Those moving eastward, ramble as far as Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. Others turn southwest through the proposed wildlife sanctuary of Kanhargaon and reach Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana, 70-80 km from TATR (see ‘Long-range rovers’).
This long-range corridor will get blocked for the tigers of TATR and impede their migration if the government decides to build the dam.
“The passage of animals will be constricted, so they will turn towards human settlements and agricultural fields, thus aggravating human-wildlife conflicts,” says Kishore Rithe, founder of Satpuda Foundation, a non-profit working for tiger and conservation in central India. The region is already vulnerable to such incidents. As many as 140 human deaths were registered here since 2007, he notes.
What’s more, the land proposed for project is part of a legally notified corridor, according to the approved tiger conservation plan of TATR.
ADAMANT TO DAM
Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2020 de Down To Earth.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2020 de Down To Earth.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
