Pg 42-47 – PHIL CARTER.p65 A.CHRISTY WILLIAMS CONSERVATION Jharkhand’s Jharkhand’s VANISHING WILDLIFE CORRIDORS 42-43 CYAN by Philip Carter MAGENTA

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#150 Jharkhand’s Vanishing WildlifeCorridors increased human-animal conflict. the pachyderms stranded and resulted in coal mining financed by the World Bank has left ancient migratory corridors (see map) by illegal migrations in search of food. Destruction Elephants are known for their extraordinary and with 1997, I continued to work with Imam on Hazaribagh in staggering proportions. humanitarian and ecological crisis of destroyed, setting the scene for a agricultural land and wildlife corridors villages would be cleared, and both the possible impact hit home. had been slated for mining, the scale of how much of the upper Damodar valley been for thousands of years. As I realised with black plough buffaloes as it had tribal people indigenous to the region, lands worked on by the existed, and also by the rich, agricultural sheer vastness of the forests that still Imam, I was pleasantly surprised by the and on to the Palamau Tiger with Reserve through the upper valley mines. As I travelled from Hazaribagh under threat by numerous opencast coal for tigers and elephants were important Bulu Imam that wildlife corridors environmental and cultural activist to investigate a report by the indigenous to the region were land and jungles of of pristine agricultural the World Bank. Large areas Assessments sponsored by Environmental Impact to those who carried out corridors was still an alien notion A TRANSITORY TIGER? I attempt to travel again through the area. of valour,was the better part I did not coal companies. Deciding that discretion apparently by security goons hired up and their equipment taken, stories of journalists who had been beaten the coal mining areas. I heard disturbing that it was no longer wise to travel into visits to the region, finding my dismay In 2000, I made the first of two return campaign that subsequently developed. After publishing an article In 1997, the concept of wildlife first came to what is now the state in the summer of 1997, of Jharkhand, then south Bihar, 1/23/2007, 9:51 PM Sanctuary Sanctuary on the international sal adivasis in October Adivasi , the Divisional Forest Officer of Hazaribagh Sanctuary to the west. connects the Hazaribagh Wildlife Hazaribagh escarpment, which still killed in the forests of nearby A plough bullock had recently been of a large male tiger over the last few weeks. informed me that villagers had seen tracks Lumbu, a former professional tracker. He again, where I interviewed 70-year-old Jharkhand. My first stop was Jawardih newly-formed “Forest State” of 2006. I returned to what was now the seen a tiger cub in 1997. had even about 30 km. to the east of Hazaribagh adivasi surviving by preying on cattle. heritage, was probably present and tiger, symbol of India’s the very wild revealed a different picture. Even the the road interviewing villagers had large fauna. However, days on just a few dismissed as degraded forest without any Forest Officer (2005) not held accountable. That’s why it was neglected,” S.E.H. Kazi, Divisional record and if it is missing or something unpleasant happens to it, you are protection also. If you don’t acknowledge, the tiger doesn’t exist on “If you acknowledge that there is a tiger, then you are responsible for its In 2005, S.E.H. Kazmi, the then Fast-forward nine years to September villagers in the village of Jawardih Santhal tiger in their records, then after the acknowledge the presence of He added that if officials were to would go back somewhere,” said Kazmi. tiger, and that maybe after some time it the authorities knew it was a transitory crisis or because of the issues involved, acknowledgement. he approached superiors to get an official pugmark, however, convinced him and leopard. The photograph of the 14 cm. and had assumed it was a skeptical compensation. Kazmi himself had been planted by villagers to get cattle mistaken identification or a false story they had initially dismissed it as either a confirmation of the tiger’s presence and had not been easy to get official identified here in more than a decade. It the first time that a tiger had been Sanctuary. According to him, this was Jawardih) in the Hazaribagh Wildlife (possibly the same seen by villagers in District had reported a large, male tiger “The point is, because of the tiger CYAN MAGENTA

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#150 43 analysis. Kazmi also confirmed the through the Social Forestry Division in “While elephants generally migrate in order to find food, tigers generally continuing presence of the tiger when I the state’s kitty bag.” migrate for mating, indicating that there can be differences between the interviewed him in October 2006. UNRAVELLING ELEPHANT

PHILIP CARTER terrain of tiger and elephant corridors.” – Bulu Imam The corridor being utilised by the MIGRATION ROUTES tiger had been studied by the Wildlife I travelled to the state capital of Trust of India (WTI) in 2003, in to raise these issues with the which is spread over the corridor from cooperation with the Hazaribagh Jharkhand Forest Department. Ranchi Dalma to Bandwan in West Bengal,” chapter of the Indian Trust for Art and seemed bigger and busier than I said Kumar. In addition to enriching

Cultural Heritage (INTACH), of which PHILIP CARTER remembered in 1997, with an the corridor to encourage elephants not Bulu Imam is Regional Convener. His atmosphere reminiscent of a “boom to stray towards villages, protective son, Justin Imam who carried out the town” in America’s old “Wild West” when measures have also been taken. “We study, had travelled through the lush gold had been found. Indeed, this part have also erected 42 km. of solar- countryside on a motorbike to locations of the subcontinent has been called powered fencing in addition to the where human-elephant conflicts had India’s “Wild East” with mining 25 km. installed last year, and by that occurred. Through this method, it was companies clamouring to get their hands Lumbu, a 70-yeard-old Santhal adivasi and we have protected six or seven villages possible to build up a picture on a map on the natural riches beneath the state’s professional tracker from Jawardih confirmed that from the elephants,” he added. The of the route used by the elephants. This villagers had seen tracks of a large, male tiger in soil. Lakshmi Mittal, whose steel empire fencing is right around the villages, was not an easy job and he was even the forests of the Hazaribagh escarpment. Getting is the world’s biggest, completed a nine- official confirmation of this transitory tiger, with gates where people and livestock questioned at times by suspicious billion-dollar deal last year that will give however, proved to be extremely difficult. can pass. These steps have reduced members of Jharkhand’s grinding him access to the high-quality ore mines human-elephant conflict considerably Naxalite insurgency, which has been sanctuary all year round. The migrating in Jharkhand. Smart new hotels are along this corridor and villagers have fuelled in recent times by a large number elephants have wreaked havoc over the springing up to serve business travellers. expressed appreciation as well. of villagers, usually adivasis, displaced years, straying into rice paddy fields in Solar-powered fencing also won the

PHILIP CARTER On the main highway leading into by coal mining. search of fodder, and occasionally Ranchi from the north, I saw another stamp of approval from Dr. P.S. Easa The corridor Justin had studied damaging houses and injuring or killing side of this economic bonanza. Every day, of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), crosses a wide swathe of northern people. “In the migration route, there are hundreds of men, mostly adivasis which recently published Right of Jharkhand, from the Palamau Tiger some areas of degraded forest, which we displaced by mining, push bicycles laden Passage, a book detailing elephant Reserve in the west through the districts have tried to rejuvenate with plantations corridors across India. Dr. Easa says, with bags of coal into town for sale. These of Latehar and Chatra, before of fodder species, mostly bamboo and “It is definitely a good move. Solar- “coal-pushers” sell coal obtained by what connecting with the forests of by completely avoiding exotic species,” powered fencing is considered to be the government terms “illegal mining”. Hazaribagh and Koderma. Other says Kumar. one of the best options for conflict Entire families of dispossessed adivasis corridors to the south of this which This is, however, just one of the mitigation provided it is maintained go underground in disused coal mines, connected to Palamau through the five migration routes used by the periodically by cutting the vegetation upper Damodar watershed have risking frequent roof collapses, fires and Dalma elephants. The forest touching the wires and repairing any become highly stressed, and perhaps police harassment to get this coal. department says they are tackling one damage, and ensuring that there is broken, due to coal mining-related I visited the Jharkhand Forest at a time and will initiate action enough power.” Though he felt that activity. Justin considered the aggressive Department in the ornate colonial period depending on the response here. “This planting fodder species may not be the behaviour of the elephants as evidence building that it uses as its headquarters, year, we have planted 296 ha. of land, best option as it encourages elephants of the deteriorating condition of and found that it has been taking some positive action on wildlife corridors. With rising human population, forests have been converted into agricultural fields and pastures (above). Additionally, cattle the forests. In the introduction to his grazing and the attendant weed invasions have reduced fodder availability for wild herbivores. When coal from illegal mining study he wrote: Dinesh Kumar, the Divisional Forest is burned to make coke (top), agricultural land is threatened as well. This is a trend that can only worsen with the passage of the “We have to ask ourselves why are Officer for Ranchi told me about a new Forest Rights Act, which will neither benefit tribal people, nor wildlife. these few or lone tuskers turning recently-begun project to rehabilitate a corridor connecting the Dalma tiger had left the area, there would be or something unpleasant happens to it, aggressive and destructive? Do we need Elephant Sanctuary in the southeast pressure on them to explain what had you are not held accountable. That’s to demarcate certain protected forests happened to it. “If you acknowledge why it was neglected,” explains Kazmi. and common forests as vital corridors of the state. Elephants migrating from that there is a tiger, then you are The tiger was finally recognised by the connecting food bases for elephant the Dalma Sanctuary to West Bengal responsible for its protection also. If Forest Department after a scat was movements, or should we tackle the have been responsible for deaths of a you don’t acknowledge it, the tiger collected and sent to the Wildlife issue by catching the bull by the number of villagers. The corridor doesn’t exist on record and if it is missing Institute of India in Dehradun for DNA horns? To my comprehension, these rehabilitation project was started in elephants are turning hostile because 2005 to encourage elephants to stay in there is not enough food in the scarce their normal migration path while “Do we need to demarcate certain protected forests and common forests as vital corridors forests. The Forest Department is to simultaneously protecting villages. connecting food bases for elephant movements, or should we tackle the issue by catching blame for cutting vital forest cover, According to Kumar, about 50 to which served as corridors. These 55 of the 92-strong Dalma elephant the bull by the horns? To my comprehension, these elephants are turning hostile because forests, termed as secondary growth are herd migrate to West Bengal every year,

there is not enough food in the scarce forests.” – Justin Imam facing coppice cutting to earn revenue while the others are resident in the MAP NOT TO SCALE, MAP COURTESY BIRLA INSTITUE OF TECHNOLOGY, RANCHI

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Pg 42-47 JHARKHAND – PHIL CARTER.p65 44-45 1/23/2007, 9:51 PM CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK #150 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK #150 to stay in the corridor and provides more opportunity for conflict with humans, he commended the department on using

natural food species instead of exotic grasses DR. PRAMOD BANSODE or other types of plants. Bulu Imam, once also a professional hunter of tigers and rogue elephants, agreed that encouraging elephants to stay in a corridor could lead to problems. He suggested that the north Jharkhand corridor in which the tiger has returned be considered a “tiger corridor” rather than an “elephant corridor” as whenever elephants have been forced to use it, there have been severe conflicts. “In February 1973, a herd of four elephants began killing people in this northern corridor and I was called on to hunt them down, and I completed this unpleasant job in The reappearance of a tiger after more than a decade in the forest corridors connecting the Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary to its October of the same year. The elephants western forests confirms that it is not only elephants that use the corridor. Over-exploitation will result in even these transitory had killed several hundred people by that tigers being lost and with them, the hope that Hazaribagh’s forests might stage a comeback. time.” The elephants were breaking into houses to get at food stored inside. He the south of Jharkhand, the paper reports, state’s mineral wealth for investors. pointed out that while elephants generally “The traditional routes of elephants exist However, the information given about migrate in order to find food, tigers since time immemorial. But of late they Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary is out-of- date and misleading. Tours are advertised generally migrate for mating, indicating are trying out new routes. In the process, two groups of elephant herds, one to the sanctuary, which is referred to as that there can be differences between the comprising about 125 elephants and having had 14 tigers according to the 1970 terrain of tiger and elephant corridors. another of 25 elephants have been isolated census. There is a sad disconnection WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? from the Saranda forest and are trying to between this and the present reality with On the quiet campus of the Birla relocate themselves in the jungles of higher no tigers present at all for over a decade Institute of Technology at Mesra just latitudes of the state i.e. in Hazaribagh and now a single animal reappearing. outside Ranchi, I was shown a project district. The group of 25 elephants has as While it is possible that some “transitory attempting to define and rehabilitate many as five calves.” According to the tigers” were quietly ignored by officials, it wildlife corridors. Richa Sharma, a paper, these herds are the ones causing seems clear from Jharkhand’s chosen physicist by training, is researching what maximum human-elephant conflict. public face on the Internet that the may prove to be a vital link between the As the “gold rush” continues to dig as government is intent on ignoring the method of the WTI study of identifying much short-term profit as possible from present situation. The lone tiger represents corridors by human-elephant conflicts, beneath the soil of the Chotanagpur a moment of truth for the newly-created and the practical expertise of the Forest Plateau, which covers much of the mineral state. Will it take the steps necessary to Department. In a room filled with and forest-rich state, Jharkhand is digging recognise, conserve and where necessary computers, she explained how techniques its environment into a hole from which it rehabilitate the habitat, including forest of Geographical Information Systems will not easily recover. While there are corridors, needed to make sure it is not the (GIS) can be combined with satellite positive signs that the problems are being last time the great cat is seen in Jharkhand imagery and on-the-ground research, to recognised by some people and some level where there were once so many? show the new areas elephants are of action is being taken, without support Philip Carter (website: www.writing wandering into as their traditional travel at the highest levels of government, fortheplanet.com) is a Canadian routes become damaged. It is then possible progress will be difficult. environmental journalist living in Japan. to identify a potential corridor for One indicator of the Jharkhand His journey to India was sponsored by Forte rehabilitation using methods such as the government’s attitude is its home page, Science (www.forte-science.co.jp), a Tokyo Forest Department is pioneering. which does a good job of advertising the translation company. E A paper by Sharma’s team entitled “Establishing a Corridor for the Elephants of Jharkhand using Remote Sensing and As the “gold rush” continues to dig as much short-term profit as possible GIS” underlines the rapidly developing from beneath the soil of the Chotanagpur Plateau, which covers much of problem, and the need for urgent action. Referring to elephants from the Dalma the mineral and forest-rich state, Jharkhand is digging its environment Wildlife Sanctuary in Saranda forest in into a hole from which it will not easily recover.

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