Report of the Tiger Task Force - PRS

■ JOINING THE DOTS TIGER TASK FORCE REPORTvi)soil conservation, fire protection, astourist guides and interpreters andin any other P.A. based activity.Suitable training courses for theseactivities may be drawn up;c) networking local people inintelligence gathering against timbermafia and poachers;d) build up close rapport with foreststaff and local anti-poaching patrols(to use their traditional knowledgeof the area) to track poachers;e) impart training for theirinvolvement in scientific research(special courses that are site specificto the ongoing research can beconducted);f) the revenue from tourism collectedby the Park Authorities may beused for the establishment of aVillage Trust Fund for engaging thelocal population in the protectionof the PA – to be administered bythe village elders. Some of thisrevenue could also go towards staffwelfare;g) the local population may play aneffective role in conservation andprotection of the area byestablishing ManagementBoards/Committees for the PAconsisting of representatives of thevillages, Park officials and locallybased conservation NGOs andscientists. This ManagementBoard/Committee may meet everythree months in order to encourage atransparent and participatoryapproach towards management andthereafter will regularly send itsrecommendations to the State LevelCommittee;h) rehabilitation of hunting tribes,traditional poachers living in andaround PAs should be done on apriority basis (as was done inPeriyar). One way of rehabilitatingthem is by involving them in antipoachingworks which gives richdividend. They could also beresettled away from forest areas andthen given alternatives for theirlivelihood. This would need to beclosely monitored;Specific prescriptions for tiger protectionshould be incorporated in the WorkingPlans in respect of identified tiger richhabitats in forests outside the protectedareas.vii) Priority needs to be accorded foridentification and protection of wildlifecorridors for the movement oftigers/wildlife from one PA/habitat toanother.viii) Imposing a cess on hotels and touroperators who depend on the PA for theirbusiness. The cess will be determined bythe State Committee under theChairmanship of the Chief Minister. Thecess can be used for the welfare of the localpopulation such as schooling, medicine,etc.ix) efforts should be made to provide alternateroutes to the existing roads/National/StateHighways passing through the PAs whichare playing havoc with the tiger andwildlife.xi)Mining (new leases as well as renewalcases), hotels and resorts and otheractivities which have a negative impact onthe habitat and wildlife should not bepermitted within the safety zone (say onekm. from the boundary).xi) Protected Areas affected byinsurgency/naxalites and which have goodforests and tiger habitats require specialattention through special measures. – BothCentral and State Committees will dealwith this issue.xii) Under no circumstances mining,agriculture, regularization ofencroachment and other activities whichlead to fragmentation/destruction of thehabitat should be permitted.Many of the above activities can beprohibited/regulated under the existing provisions ofthe Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and also byissuing of notification under the Environment(Protection) Act by the MoEF.IV. STRENGTHEN RESEARCH AND TRAININGACROSS TIGER HABITATSi) A Wildlife Management Manual/Codeshould be prepared in a time boundmanner by the MoEF with the assistance ofthe Wildlife Institute of India. It should beensured that every PA is managed as per theprescriptions of the Management Pan forthat particular P.A. The Manual would beakin to a handbook that provides detailedinformation for the better management ofthe P.A.172 Annexures