Govt adopts dilly-dallying approach towards demarcation of 35 wildlife protected areas

Proposal to reorganize deptt gathering dust

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 24: In blatant violation of provisions of Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978, the Government has adopted dilly-dallying approach towards demarcation of majority of the wildlife protected areas in all the three regions of the State thereby leaving enough chances for their encroachment and shrinkage.
Moreover, reorganization of the Wildlife Protection Department is not being taken seriously despite the fact that large number of posts are lying vacant during the past quite long time and creating impediments in conservation and protection of these natural assets.
J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978 lays enough thrust on demarcation of wildlife protected areas comprising of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Wetlands and Conservation Reserves so as to protect them from encroachments.
However, not much attention has so far been paid towards this provision of the Act as a result of which proper demarcation of only two National Parks and one Wildlife Sanctuary could be conducted till date and boundaries of 35 wildlife protected areas are yet to be clearly defined.
As per the official document, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR, there are four National Parks in Jammu and Kashmir and these are Dachigam National Park in Srinagar/Pulwama districts, City Forest/Salim Ali National Park in Srinagar district, Kazinag National Park in Baramulla and Kishtwar National Park in Kishtwar/Doda districts.
However, proper demarcation of only Dachigam and Salim Ali National Parks has been completed so far. As far as Kazinag National Park is concerned, only digital delineation has been completed while as only boundary of Kishtwar High Altitude National Park has been defined and the demarcation process has yet not been started.
As far as 12 Wildlife Sanctuaries are concerned, demarcation of only Rajparian (Daksum) Wildlife Sanctuary in Anantnag district has been completed while as demarcation of Overa Aru Wildlife Sanctuary also in Anantnag district is still under progress.
With regard to Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary in Shopian district only survey/delineation of 48 boundary pillars has been completed. Similarly, survey/delineation of only 51 boundary pillars has been completed in respect of Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary in Ganderbal district. The demarcation of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary has been partly completed so far while as only survey has been completed in respect of Limber and Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuaries in Baramulla district.
As far as Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary is concerned, 50% area has been demarcated and rest is still under progress. Only 88 boundary pillars have been erected covering an area of 3.05 square kilometer of Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary in Kathua district, which is having total area of 10.04 square kilometer. Similarly, only 44 boundary pillars have been erected covering an area of 1.52 square kilometer of Surinsar-Mansar Sanctuary which is having total area of 97.82 square kilometer.
About Nandni Wildlife Sanctuary having an area of 33.34 square kilometer, the official document said that since additional area has been taken over and joint verification with the Forest Department is under progress, the demarcation will take time. As far as Tata Kutti Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajouri district is concerned, demarcation process has yet not been started.
According to the document, demarcation of Wangath (Ganderbal), Khiram (Anantnag), Achabal (Anantnag), Khangund (Pulwama), Shikargah (Pulwama), Brein Nishat (Srinagar) and Khimber (Srinagar) Conservation Reserves is still under progress.
The survey/delineation has been completed only in respect of Panyar (Pulwama), Ajas (Baramulla) and Naganari (Ganderbal) Conservation Reserves. As far as Khrew and Khonmoh Conservation Reserves are concerned, only partial demarcation has been conducted so far.
The much needed demarcation of all the 10 Wetland Reserves has not been completed by the Wildlife Protection Department till date. These Wetland Reserves are Hokersar in Srinagar, Hygam and Mirgund in Baramulla, Shallabugh in Ganderbal, Kranchoo, Manjbugh, Freskhoori and Chatlam in Pulwama district, Malgam in Bandipora and Gharana in Jammu.
“Not only the Wildlife Protection Department even Revenue Department is equally responsible for the prevailing situation as demarcation is required to be conducted by both the departments jointly”, sources said.
Not only on demarcation of Wildlife Protected Areas, Government has also failed to pay required attention towards filling up of vacant posts in the Wildlife Protection Department, sources said while disclosing that 76 posts have been lying vacant during the past quite long time. “Moreover, much-needed reorganization of the Wildlife Protection Department has remained confined to the official files only”, they regretted.
“For want of adequate manpower the ratio of employees per square kilometer of protected areas is far less than the minimum required”, sources said.

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