Good News-Prey Density slowly recovers in DATR

It was during 90s when it was very difficult to sight even a single spotted deer or gaur which were nearly under extinction from the Dandeli forests due to rampant mining,habitat loss due to hydro electric projects etc.But after declaring these forests as a Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining Anshi forests as National Park, officials along with the staff and local people tried their best to bring the precious wildlife back into the forests.So as a result, today we can easily sight a herd of spotted deers,wild boars,gaurs and even predators like tiger,leopard,dholes if we are lucky enough in these forests.And one more good news is that the Diggi forests which are recently added to Tiger Project are having very good gaurs density (more than 500 as per the local people opinions).

I strongly feel that prey density is slowly recovering in the tiger reserve which can give a big boost for increase in predator density.Even i was lucky to sight three to four herds of spotted deers,malabar giant squirrel which were roaming freely in the forests in my recent visit to DATR.I thought it might be interesting one for wildlifers,hence i am hereby attaching some of the snaps.

Dandeli-Anshi:A Model Tiger Reserve in Karnataka

A new era has been started in Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve.After the longtime efforts made by Forest department and local people,Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve has been listed in the Top 10 Tiger Reserves of India The credit goes to everyone including staff ,local people who did their duty sincerely and co-operated to the maximum extent,says Mr.B K Singh,PCCF(Wildlife).While addressing in a function arranged at Kulgi Nature Camp by Dandeli Wildlife Division in association with Canara circle he told it is very happy to tell that DATR is performing overall very well in terms of wildlife management.

Meanwhile he issued appreciation certificates to staff and local people for their efforts which made DATR to get name and fame in the country.He also issued GPS sets to Anti Poaching Staff by which department can keep a eye on staff's activities.Project Tiger Director(Shimoga) and CCF Mr.Premkumar,Canara Circle CF Mr.Subhash Malakhed,Dandeli Wildlife Division DCF Mr.Sunil Panwar,Haliyal DCF Mr.B B Malleshi,ACFs, RFOs and staffs of Dandeli Wildlife Division,Haliyal Forest Division were also present in the function.

Please find the attachment below for more details:

No forceful eviction of people from the Tiger Reserve-Official

No one will be evicted forcefully for theProject Tiger programme from Dandeli-Anashi region, said B K Singh, Principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF Wildlife). Addressing a gathering at a forest staff welfare programme in Anashi Project Tiger area in Kulgi village on Thursday, he said, "Dandeli-Anashi region comes under the Project Tiger programme. No one will be evicted forcefully from these regions. 

Please find the link and attachments below for more detailed story:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/No-forceful-eviction-Official/articleshow/9673494.cms

Some good news for wildlife on NH 4A Expansion

I was really shocked when i saw a notification in newspaper regarding road widening of NH 4A.Immediately I called up Belgaum DCF Mr.Girish Hosur regarding the issue.But i never expected that i could get such a positive response and good news on this issue to save our wildlife.I have never seen such a down to earth person.The way in which he convinced me was really wonderful.As per the discussion had with him i have been conveyed the information below.

The total length of the proposed road construction is 84 km in Karnataka state.

Out of 84km, 30 km(Belgaum-Khanapur) will be of four lane,but remaining 54 km(Khanapur-Anmod) will be of two lane and that too without road dividers as it makes difficult for wild animals to cross the road because this area falls under wildlife corridor.

So as per the previous proposal around 23,800 trees were supposed to cut down but now only 8000 trees will be cut down so finally around 16000 trees will be saved.

I am really thankful to DCF Mr.Girish Hosur who tried his best to save precious wildlife by opposing a four lane road from Khanapur to Anmod.

Leopards' spot changed to suit whims of netas

At least half-a-dozen leopards have been transferred from Bellary and surrounding areas to Dandeli in the past six months allegedly violating the norms set for translocating leopards whose numbers are dwindling drastically. 

Sources say the reasons are better known to the officials, though the local wildlife enthusiasts allege it was being done to please a few netas who advance a “concern for people” argument. “There has been no human-leopard conflict and there has been no death due to leopard attacks in the region. On occasion, these animals were either found sitting on boulders adjoining the villages or were sighted pouncing on canines (dogs and wolves),” said Santosh Martin, a wildlife enthusiast here.

“ It is common for these animals to stray outside the villages and canines are their prey. The villagers have complained to the local leaders who have forced the forest department to act,” he added.

K S Abdul Samad, another wildlife enthusiast and president, Society for Wildlife Adventure and Nature (SWaN), a resident of Hospet says he is conscious about the dwindling leopard population here. 

“What is worrying is that the leopards from here are being shifted to Dandeli National Park, which is a western ghats region and we are not sure whether these animals which have adapted to dryland can survive there,” he says.

More than half-a-dozen leopards have been shifted from the region here, all from Hospet region during this year. One leopard was captured and shifted to Dandeli in April 2011. It was followed by another in June 2011 from Joga forest fringes, while another was shifted from Kurekuppa village recently in the first week of August (2011). In addition to this, three were captured in Gangavathi by the department.

The locals claim that three leopards were captured from adjacent areas of Bellary. 

Well-known felinist Ravi Chellam said he was not aware of the matter but stated  if such a  thing is happenings it is in violation of the guidelines issued by Ministry of Environment and Forests issued in April 2011.

According to the guidelines, removal of the leopards from one location does not help in any way as the leopards exhibit amazing homing instincts and many animals traverse through other densely populated landscapes to reach back to their original territories.
The guidelines prescribe that a leopard should be captured only in two instances - first, where it has attacked a human being, and second, where it is trapped - in a room, for example. 

The guidelines, apart from emphasising that capture should be the last option, recommend that captured leopards should be released within the immediate vicinity of their captivity - that is, within their home range. as the research has shown that the translocation of leopards to faraway places only leads to conflict - either another leopard might take its place or the conflict might spread to the place of translocation, or the translocated leopard will try to return home, thereby running into conflicts with humans along the way.

The guidelines also recommend that leopards that have attacked humans or have been held captive for more than a month should not be released into the wild. However the forest officials were not available for comment.
An edited version of this article was published in Deccan Herald and can be read from the link below:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/184079/leopards-spot-changed-suit-whims.html

Big shock to Wildlife-The NH 4A Expansion to 4 lane

The NH 4A Belgaum-Khanapur-Ramnagar-Anmod-Panaji highway Expansion to 4 lane will be done very soon as people think it ll be a biggest advantage for them to reach Goa in few hours.

But these people are not thinking about the deforestation which will be done due to the highway expansion.And the most important thing is to notice that the expansion will be done in Khanapur,Joida taluqs which passes through the heart of the important wildlife corridors between Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary,Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve,Sahyadri Tiger Reserve,Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary.As a result the territorial significance of the wild animals will be lost and their migratory paths also will get blocked which inturn force them to enter into villages.One more serious concern is increase of mining lorries as it makes easiest way for them to reach Goa and Karwar ports.So entire forest in the region will be under great disturbance.

Please find the article below which has been published in the newspaper.

To the people of Belgaum this is one of the important roads that needs to be upgraded which will bring in more business and also easier access to Goa.

The road would be 4 laned until Khanapur and then it will be two laned until Goa border. Further in stage 2 of the project the road would be 4 laned and 6 laned respectively.

The biding process for the same is over but the project has not been awarded to any one yet.The construction time for roads only is 30 months. Provisions for tolling system and toll plaza have been proposed at km 18.835 ( this will be somewhere after Alma Motors near Desur) and km 66.315 (just near Anmod Ghat).

The project Road, Belgaum to Karnataka / Goa Border, the 84.0 km section of NH- 4A, forms a part of the proposed schemes of widening of various National Highway stretches/ corridors to 4/6-lanes under the Prime Minister’s NHDP Phase III programme in the country. This stretch is proposed to be on BOT / DBFOT (Toll) basis.

Two Laning with Paved Shoulder and Four-Laning from km 30.00 to km 81.9 of NH-4A (Immediate Two Laning) and km 0.00 to km 30.00 of NH-4A (Immediate Four Laning) Subsequent Four Laning – from km 30.00 to km 81.9 of NH-4A – Stage Construction from Two Laning to Four Laning .

The project road (NH-4A) starts within Belgaum city limits (near St. Anthony’s Church), runs southward and traverses the districts of Belgaum (Belgaum & Khanapur tehsils) and Uttar Kannada (Supa Tehsil) in the state of Karnataka. The project road ends at the Goa/Karnataka border and is about 84 km long.

The road starts abruptly within Belgaum city (near St. Anthony’s Church) and does not directly link with the existing NH-4 (Pune-Bangalore Road). Traffic from NH-4, destined to Belgaum/ Goa thus has to use the Belgaum city roads prior to switching over to NH-4A to continue its onward journey.

A significant portion of the project road upto Goa/Karnataka border passes through thick reserved forests on either side.

Traffic from NH-4 destined for Belgaum or Goa uses the city roads to join NH-4A. The NH-4 feeds traffic to the project road from the states of Maharashtra (Satara, Kolhapur, Pune etc.), Gujarat and north India.

A number of State Highways link the project road and caters to traffic to & from the surrounding regions. These include:

• SH-54 – From NH-4A Peeranwadi to Jamboti

• SH-31 – Bailhongal – Bagevadi – Khanapur (NH-4A) – Jamboti – Chorla

• SH-30 – From NH-4A Khanapur to Hemmadaga/Anmod on NH-4A

• SH-93 – From NH-4A Khanapur to Linganmatha/ Yellapur

• SH-34 – From NH-4A Ramnagar to Dharwad/ Hubli

• SH-95 – From NH-4A Ramnagar to Supa – Karwar

Belgaum ( Near Fish Market Start) (Km 0+000) – Khanapur (Km26+000)

Khanapur (Km26+000) – Ramnagar (Km 53+000)

Ramnagar (Km 53+000) – Tinaighat (Km 66+000), and

Tinaighat (Km 66+000) – Goa/Karnataka border (End)

Belgaum Bypass

Belgaum is connected to Panaji in the South-West through NH-4A which originates from Belgaum. Origination of NH-4A is within the densely populated residential/ commercial area of the city. This is connected to NH- 4 by a road which criss-crosses through several urban arterial and sub-arterial roads and in the process gets mixed up. On the other hand, a bypass on NH-4 has been constructed through the northern and eastern outskirts of Belgaum, taking off from km 498 and touching down at km 507. This has pushed the NH-4 further away from NH-4A. As mentioned earlier, there is no direct linkage for through traffic between NH-4 and NH4-A. This forces NH-4 bound traffic from NH-4A and the vice versa to enter the congested city of Belgaum, get interrupted by the urban traffic and exit after passing through several major and minor intersections. Clearly, this results in enormous delay and confusion to the through traffic. This weaving is undesirable and calls for comprehensive improvement plan in the form of a Belgaum Bypass.

Belgaum Bypass starts from Km 497.5 of NH-4 (Near Halga) and meets NH-4A at 9.5 having a total length of 9.5 km.

Khanapur Bypass takes off from km 23.2 and merges again with NH-4A at km 28.2 having a total length of 5 km.

Total Project Cost for 4 Laning of Section- I along with 2 Bypasses and 2 Laning with paved shoulder of Section- II & III of the Project Corridor would be Rs. 3,118,902,461.00

Source: The Project report on the Road at NHAI

Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve in Very Good Category of Management Effectiveness Evaluation Process

It is very happy to know that Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve is listed in Very Good Category of  Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) Process.MEE process is a global framework initiated by National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India(WII) to evaluate the performance of tiger reserves.The evaluation is done from June2010 to July 2011 in all the 39 tiger reserves across India.

Source:Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves in India: Process and Outcomes 2010-2011
http://www.projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/mee_tiger_2011.pdf