Monday, 02 July 2012 00:04
pioneer
Both the proposals — of shifting the Asiatic lion from the Gir
forests in Gujarat and elephants from Karnataka — are stuck in courts.
While Gujarat argues that there is no need for a second home to the Gir
lions and that translocation to MP would make them vulnerable to
poachers, NGOs in Karnataka say that translocated elephants would suffer
the pangs of being separated from their family groups and that such a
plan would result in degradation of the forests in that State. MP Forest
Minister is, however, hopeful that the plan would come through, writes
Zafar Alam Khan
The Madhya Pradesh Government’s proposed ambitious plan to
translocate Asiatic Lions and elephants from Gujarat and Karnataka,
respectively, is in doldrums. The Bharatiya Janata Party Government of
the State has failed to persuade the same party ruled Gujarat and
Karnataka Governments for the same. ‘Viva city’ tried to find out that
what went wrong and why translocation of these animals still hangs in
balance. Madhya Pradesh Government’s efforts to translocate the animals
could not be a pipe dream since the State has the largest area under
forest cover as compared to other States of the country.
Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Sartaj Singh while talking to ‘Viva
City’ said, “The issues are pending in the court and we are hopeful that
the verdict would go in our favour.”
Notably, the decision to make Kuno-Palpur sanctuary near Gwalior a
second home for the Asiatic lions was taken in 1990 by the Union
Government on the advice of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) while
shifting of 29 jumbos from Karnataka was almost imminent but in the last
moments a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) played spoilsport and the
translocation was stuck.
Gujarat opposes tooth and nail the plan for a second home for Asiatic
lions at Kuno-Palpur sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh while the plan of
getting elephants from Karnataka also suffered jolt as a plea against it
was admitted in the Karnataka High Court.
The Karnataka High Court has asked the Union Government, the Animal
Welfare Board of India, Principal Secretary to the Department of Forest,
Ecology and Environment to file a counter affidavit against the
petition on the translocation of elephants from the state.
The petition filed by the Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) and
the People For Animals (PFA) has alleged the State Government has
decided to transfer 29 elephants to Madhya Pradesh. The NGOs cited a
report in a section of the media stating that the Karnataka Government
was planning to hand over captive elephants to Madhya Pradesh Government
for use in safaris, and that 29 elephants had been identified for such a
transfer.
The NGOs wrote letters to the principal conservator of forests
objecting to the translocation of the elephants. Since the state
government seemed keen on pursuing the transfers, the petitioners
decided to approach the court.
The NGOs argued that the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 prohibits the
sale of elephants. The elephants, if transferred, would be separated
from family groups. The translocation of such a huge number of elephants
would result in degeneration of the forest, since each elephant
requires 250 kg of fodder every day. They are extremely vulnerable to
tuberculosis when they come into contact with human beings.
The activists sought a direction from the court to issue a writ not
to sell, transfer or translocate elephants from Karnataka. The State
Government counsel has submitted that a decision had been taken not to
translocate captive elephants to Madhya Pradesh or to any other part of
the country.
While, in case of lions’ transfer from Gujarat, a proposed second
home for Asiatic lions has pitted the BJP-led State Governments of
Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh against each other. Gujarat, whose Gir
sanctuary is the only abode for Asiatic lions, is upset with the plan to
shift some of the big cats to the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary near Gwalior in
Madhya Pradesh, as decided in the late 1990s by the Union Government on
the advice of the Wildlife Institute of India.
The issue came up for hearing in Supreme Court on May 1 this year on a
petition by Biodiversity Conservation Trust, a wildlife NGO.
The Madhya Pradesh Government bluntly told the court that Gujarat’s
allegations that Madhya Pradesh forest officials were incapable of
handling the lions and that there was poaching in the area and not
enough prey base for the lions were baseless. The debate further
escalated when the Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Department posted on its
website that “Kuno has been selected as an alternative home for the
endangered Asiatic lion, which is now confined only to the Gir National
Park and Sanctuary of Gujarat.” Gujarat claims it has done enough to
protect the lions and that a second home for them is unnecessary. Not
only has the number of Gir lions gone up to 411, the State Government
has also added 400 sq km of grasslands and forests to the 1,400-sq-km
sanctuary as part of its concept of Greater Gir. Gujarat forest
officials also say the poachers who operate in Gir come from Katni in
Madhya Pradesh, not very far from Kuno-Palpur, which means the proposed
second home is no safer for the lions.
Gujarat’s principal chief conservator of forests Pradeep Khanna said,
“There is absolutely no need for shifting the lions out of Gujarat. The
endangered species is more secure here than anywhere else.”
Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Sartaj Singh counters, “It is wrong to
say lions won’t be safe in Kuno-Palpur when Madhya Pradesh has done a
good job of managing other national parks in the State which have
tigers. Gujarat should understand that it is for the future benefit of
the species that a second home is necessary.”
Another Gujarat forest official reminds that the Wildlife Institute of
India’s recommendation to shift lions to Kuno-Palpur was itself a
political decision as it was dominated at that time by officials from
Madhya Pradesh. He adds that the second home strategy is flawed as
Kuno-Palpur is just 344 sq km in area and the recommendation is for
shifting only six lions.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/77395-mps-wait-continues-for-gir-lions-and-karnataka-jumbos.html
English language news articles from year 2007 plus find out everything about Asiatic Lion and Gir Forest. Latest News, Useful Articles, Links, Photos, Video Clips and Gujarati News of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (Geer / Gir Forest - Home of Critically Endangered Species Asiatic Lion; Gir Lion; Panthera Leo Persica ; Indian Lion (Local Name 'SAVAJ' / 'SINH' / 'VANRAJ') located in South-Western Gujarat, State of INDIA), Big Cats, Wildlife, Conservation and Environment.
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