Wild Life protection is constitutionally mandate and Wild Life Act reinforces the obligation on the State of maintenance and upkeep of Wild Life sanctuaries. It enjoins upon the Government to identify the area where wild life including bird life is concentrated and then demarcate it, fence it and provide necessary manpower and equipment that lead to protection and preservation of wild life. It will be reminded that the Wild Life Ministry of the Union Government once floated tiger protection project on which crores of rupees were spent and the tigers were spared the threat of extinction. As a result of save tiger mission, India has the largest number of tigers in the world.
It should be noted that wild life, bird life and water life are part of the grand scheme of nature. Any attempt of distorting or causing it damage has serious repercussions. It imbalances the eco system and ultimately leads to shrinking of environment not only for the wild life but also for human beings.
We have a very disappointing case of destruction of wild life sanctuary in Manda sanctuary extending from the hinterland of Hotel Ashoka eastwards to the outskirts of the premises of the High Court. A sanctuary is the protected area of a forest which is reserved for various species of wild life. The sanctuary is not to be trespassed, its gates are to remain locked and nobody except the authorized officials of the Wild Life Department can enter on duty and business. Yes, visitors can be allowed after obtaining permission from concerned authority. Even they will be escorted by the staff and will remain within specific lines and hours inside the sanctuary. Up to five kilometers from the boundary of the said sanctuary, no structure has to be raised and no habitation is allowed. Nothing has to be done to disturb the life of the animals. Even cutting of grass and felling the trees within the sanctuary is forbidden.
As against these standing rules and the stipulations of the Wild Life Act, surprisingly nomadic people of the State, have occupied chunks of this sanctuary for last five or six years and have moved there along with their herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. As is known, these migratory people subsist on their cattle and flocks of sheep and they carry fierce bulldogs that are terror not only to thieves and burglars but essentially to the wild animals. These dogs can attack and kill even a leopard or a panther not to speak of lesser wild animals. It is but natural that these dogs can cause harm to the harmless animals like spotted deer which have been found in the sanctuary.
The tribals have been camping at three places close to the sanctuary for last seven months without being asked by anybody how they dare break the law and escape scot free. They have been living there for last six or seven seasons and nobody ever objected to it. One cannot rule out the possibility of forest, Wild Life Department functionaries having formed nexus to let these nomadic people encamp and conduct their routine life. According to official record the sanctuary covered about 32 square kilometers of forest land which has been encroached upon and reduced to mere 12 square kilometers.
This is a serious situation. The impression one gathers after that there could be interference by political bigwigs somewhere and somehow. Our political system has degenerated into vote bank syndrome and unscrupulous politicians can boost any group or segment of society with false promises and incentives to grab their votes. Whatever be the case, there is absolutely no justification in anybody attempting to grab the forest land and at the same time endanger its wild life. Concerned departments including the Crime Organization should move in quickly and react on this attempt of illegal occupation of vast tract of forest land. Before somebody pursues the matter as public litigation, the Wild Life Department should act swiftly and displace illegal occupants and also impose fine on them for trespassing on sanctuary and causing disturbance to the wild life.
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