Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday directed the administration to study the situation under the guidance of experts and implement a special remedial plan immediately to prevent human casualties due to tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district. This includes providing special compensation to the families of those who died in tiger attacks in the last five years and relocating additional tigers.
The Chief Minister, who is the Gadchiroli district guardian minister, has directed to submit a report on the same within three months. He took a serious note of the loss of lives of citizens in tiger attacks.
As the Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli, he has directed the officials to immediately take cognisance of the demands of the citizens there and suggest an action plan to address this issue. He also directed to prepare a plan for this under the guidance of Pravin Pardeshi, CEO of MITRA (Maharashtra Institution for Transformation). Accordingly, Pardeshi, who is also a forest and wildlife expert, held a meeting of senior forest officials in Nagpur, discussed the solution plans and directed them to implement them. The chief minister has also asked the administration to pay a special compensation to the families of those killed in tiger attacks
“In the last five years, more than 50 people have died in tiger attacks in Gadchiroli district. Citizens have died in tiger attacks, especially in Gadchiroli, Charmoshi, Armori, Vadsa and Dhanora areas. After studying the situation in Gadchiroli, additional tigers in Gadchiroli should be relocated within three months. Also, information about citizens who died in tiger attacks in the last five years should be collected and special compensation should be given to their heirs and families,” said the chief minister.
According to a statement issued by the chief minister, it was decided to thin out teak trees in Chaparala and Prahnita Sanctuary in Gadchiroli district and increase the amount of pasture. So that the number of herbivores increases and carnivores get food. It was also decided to appoint a forest patrol on the lines of a police patrol in every village. So that the locals do not have to go to the forest to collect wood and firewood in the forest. It was also decided to produce grass in the fields of the villagers and use it for compressed bio gas (CBG). The decision was taken to set up a CBG plant there.
Further, it was also decided to implement measures such as conducting e-panchnama to provide early compensation for crops damaged by wild animals, conducting a social and economic assessment of the locals for the relocation of six villages in the Chaparral Sanctuary in view of the increasing number of tigers and searching for a new site for rehabilitation. Also, experts from organisations like the Wildlife Institute working on this issue will be appointed to formulate an action plan. The preparation of a mitigation plan for endangered and sensitive areas was also discussed.
“It is seen that tigers found in human-wildlife conflicts are older. It was also felt that strategic decisions need to be taken regarding the migration of such tigers,” reads the statement.
(IANS)
