PROTECTED AREA UPDATE (Formerly JPAM UPDATE: News on Action towards Joint Protected Area Management) No. 27 & 28 December 2000 EDITORIAL Kerala Management plan for Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES No land for Sabrimala temple from Periyar Assam Former poachers protect Periyar US NGO to fund program to save elephant habitat in Madhya Pradesh state 56 villages to be moved from Indravati TR Funds crunch affects Kaziranga Protests at Kanha / Kuno Palpur Elephants on rampage around Kaziranga Maharashtra Rhino poaching in Orang Two new sanctuaries at Rajmachi and More ULFA trouble in Manas Tamini-Sudhgarh Manas Bandhu groups formed in Manas Human Rights tribunal, Justice Krishna Iyer flay HC Bihar stand on encroachments in Sanjay Gandhi NP Conflict between forest staff and police in Betla NGO suggests that boundary of Koyna WLS be fixed Goa after rehabilitation of all displaced Goa appoints 10 honorary wildlife wardens FD opposes capacity enhancement of Koyna hydro Gujarat project Tourism promotion in PAs in Gujarat Rs. 37 crores plan to check poaching Legal view sought on clearance to Essar for project Manipur in Marine NP Steps for the protection of lakes in state Indo-Oman pipeline through Marine NP scrapped Orissa Port at Positra inside Marine NP opposed Illegal prawn gheries proliferate in Bhitarkanika Coral species disappearing in Marine NP Dolphins threatened at Gahirmatha Eight new spider species in Vansada NP Paramilitary forces for protection of Simlipal Trees axed near Gir forest to pave way for shrine Eupatorium affects Simlipal, Chandka Buffaloes succumb to mysterious disease in Gir Mangrove regeneration project failing in Orissa Gir comes to aid of villagers, cattle during drought Tourism complex planned on Chilika coast Plans for Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Special Task Force set up for Chilika Balaram Ambaji WLS to be denotified Bird protection committee reduces poaching in Banni grasslands, part of Great Rann of Kutch to be Chilika handed to revenue department Rajasthan Himachal Pradesh Cell set up to deal with wildlife offences Angling reserve in Sirmour for golden mahseer Joint management to begin in Sariska (GF 153/104) Jammu & Kashmir Ranthambhor TR to be renamed Village regenerates forest on banks of Wular lake Poachers kill member of Bishnoi community Govt. spending huge amounts for golf course in Tamil Nadu Salim Ali NP Campaign to save Pulicat Lake Karnataka Three new sanctuaries proposed in state Road through Kudremukh to be widened Uttar Pradesh Tribals resettled from Nagarhole given land Animal deaths by electrocution in Hastinapur Ranganthithu affected by floods in August Ranipur WLS benefits due to activities of a dacoit Attempts to save Bannerghatta elephants from Gang smuggling sandalwood from Hastinapur WLS electrocution busted Protected Area Update 27& 28 1 December 2000 Land being bought in Govind Pashu Vihar International training workshop on PA management West Bengal and conservation Govt. to take steps for wildlife conservation 5th National Consultation on Wildlife Conservation UNDP to assist FD for management of Jaldapara and People’s Livelihood Rights NATIONAL NEWS FROM INDIA WHAT'S AVAILABLE ? SC bans removal of resources from PAs • People, Parks & Wildlife, Towards Coexistence SC bans denotifications of PAs • Human Development Report 2000 Expert panel suggests marine sanctuary status for • State of India’s Environment: The Citizens Fifth mass nesting sites of sea turtles Report EIA urges India to take US help for wildlife • Van Sahyog protection unit • A Global Review of Protected Area Budgets and Elephant poaching on the rise Staff Task Force recommends bifurcation of MoEF • Flamingo Newsletter Parliamentary group of Environment and Wildlife • Sariska Vaibhav Call to declare part of Western Ghats as eco-sensitive • Dialouge on Sariska Meagre amount sanctioned for settlement of rights • Regenerating of Forest Scheme for ecodevelopment in and around PAs Joint Forest Management (JFM) and PAs Guidelines for diversion of forest land from PAs for PA UPDATE MATTERS non-forestry purposes Information needed: Mining threats to wildlife Life Subscriptions Index of Protected Areas in the PA Update SOUTH ASIA CORRESPONDENCE Afghanistan Lake Abi Estada severely threatened Bangladesh $ 77 million Sunderbans project launched EDITORIAL Shell to explore for oil in the Sunderbans Global warming to affect Sunderbans Marine Park in St. Martin’s Island New Initiative in Sariska 2 eco-parks to be set up in Sherpur district Nepal In the overall picture of doom and destruction, there Call to develop Kaligandaki Gorge as nature continue to be many positive initiatives and signs of recreation park hope. Many forest officers, individuals, researchers, Pakistan NGOs and local communities continue their work Drought affects Khirthar against all odds and sometimes with very successful Water level in Haleji lake drops results. The initiative in Sariska (see Rajasthan; Joint WWF identifies 87 wetlands Management to begin in Sariska) is one such positive Sri Lanka initiative. Recently there was a meeting of local ADB to fund ecodevelopment project community representatives, the local NGO, Tarun Large scale illegal activities in national parks Bharat Sangh (TBS), forest department officials, and Garbage dumping threatening Bellanwila-Attidiya other NGOs in Sariska. There is now a proposal the marsh formation of an informal management committee that Sri Lanka's elephant population rising will now look at some of the most crucial issues that Fear of epidemic among wild elephants affect the PA and the communities that depend on the resources here for survival. These are the kind of INTERNATIONAL creative and innovative responses that are needed if New Protected Areas Web Sites we are to fight the serious threats faced by our PAs. Conflicts too continue and there has been ANNOUNCEMENTS wide spread concern over the developments around Information needed on diseases and wildlife some protected areas in Madhya Pradesh, particularly Toxics and Wildlife Kanha and Kuno Palpur (see Madhya Pradesh; Vacancies at the Wildlife Trust of India Protests at Kanha / Kuno Palpur). Following a very successful Bhoo Adhikar Satyagraha by the Ekta UPCOMING Parishad, the tribals and local people displaced by Short course on conservation biology for students these protected areas decided to raise the demand for Course on Ecodevelopment for Biodiversity access to resources that they have been so far denied. Conservation The forest department and a large section of our Protected Area Update 27& 28 2 December 2000 conservation lobby is worried and has even Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gejera Sapori of Majuli suggested that the people here should follow the lead as sites where elephant depredation is rampant and taken by the people of Sariska. hence fit for funding under this programme. The Ekta Parishad has clarified that they do The Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary with a core not support the denotifications of PAs, as this will area of only 19 sq. kms is home to a herd of over 30 not solve the problem either of the livelihoods of elephants. As a result there is a lot of conflict here. people or the conservation of natural resources. What Similarly, the Gejera Sapori is a relatively new sand is very important is also how the Forest Department bar formed by siltation of the Brahmaputra. Formed (FD) and the conservation lobby respond to a over the last 10 years the sand bar is approximately 5 situation like this one. Unless they are also not Kms wide and 50 Kms long. Recently, in July 2000, willing to come half the way (like in Sariska), there a 20 member herd of elephants had taken refuge here can be no meaningful dialogue or resolution. The fact causing serious panic among the human settlements is, and not many of us are willing to accept it, that in the area. millions of people are dependant on our protected areas to meet their survival needs. Turning a blind Source: ‘US-based NGOs keen to save elephant eye to their legitimate needs will not only adversely habitat in state’, The Assam Tribune , affect these communities but also make our severely 07/07/2000. threatened PA network even more fragile. In the final battle to save our wilderness from the assault of the Funds crunch affects Kaziranga new commercial and industrial forces, conservationists, researchers, NGOs, people’s According to officials of the Kaziranga National organisations and local communities have to work Park, a severe funds crunch is impeding the together, not in opposition to one another. anti-poaching operations and adversely affecting the This is where creative and innovative park’s upkeep. It is estimated that more than 200 responses will help. rhinos have been poached and 60 poachers have been A significant development in the country killed here in the last decade. With better facilities has been the creation of three new states, Jharkhand, and funds, the officials say, the protection of the park Chattisgarh and Uttaranchal. Each one is rich in can be improved further. natural resources, particularly forests. It would be However, for the last few years, the Assam interesting to see how wildlife will be treated under state government has been releasing less than half of the new regimes. Hopefully they will not continue to the annual budget allocated for the park. see forests and minerals as their main source of Consequently, few of the patrol vehicles are in revenue, but attempt to forge a new model of running condition, boats have not been repaired for development that is based on conservation and long and the elephants with the FD often go half fed sustainable use of the rich natural resources. We have with private contractors refusing to supply feed as to wait and watch. outstanding bills are increasing every year. The 350 Finally, we would like to apologise for the odd forest guards in the park are ill equipped and delay in getting out this issue of the Update . The have no sophisticated weapons, while poachers enter cliched ‘unavoidable reasons’ were responsible.