Uttarakhand Forest Department, WWF-India step up efforts to secure landscape

Ramnagar, Uttarakhand: The Terai Arc landscape, spread across the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and the low lying hills of Nepal, comprises of some of the most important Tiger Reserves and Protected Areas of India. The Protected Areas in this landscape are connected with one another through wildlife corridors used by wildlife, especially large mammals, to move from one forest to another. However, loss of these corridors, wildlife poaching, and human-wildlife conflict are posing serious threats for the survival of some of the flagship species in TAL.

The Uttarakhand Forest Department and WWF-India work closely to secure these corridors, strengthen and implement conservation efforts in the landscape.To support the Uttarkhand Forest Department in this intervention, WWF- India recently provided monitoring and patrolling equipment such as rain coats, thermal night vision devices, camera traps, GPS, wireless handsets and metal detectors.

An official hand-over meeting was organised last month at the Corbett Tiger Reserve which was attended by Mr. Digvijay Singh Khati, IFS, PCCF (Wildlife); Dr. Dhanjay Mohan, Additional PCCF (Wildlife); Mr. Surender Mehra, Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve; Dr. Rajender Singh Bisht, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kumoun; Dr. Prag Madhukar Dhakate, Conservator of Forests Western Circleand Mr. Amit Kumar Varma, Deputy Director Corbett TR. DFOs, Range Officers and other forest staffs along with members of the media were part of this meeting. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khati said, “We are thankful to WWF-India’s immediate support to the Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary, Haridwar and Landsdowne forest divisions.”

Officials also flagged the need for infrastructure support in remote forest posts located at Hathigaliar, Chopra in Ramnagar and Amla Khera, Sutlimath and Karikot in Nandhar Wildlife Sanctuary.Specific measures to tackle human-wildlife conflict in TAL were also discussed. Suggestions were made to implement innovative measures such as the recently implemented Livestock Insurance Scheme in Dhela village by the officials present in the meeting. Under this scheme, WWF-India supports livestock owners by offering 50% of the total premium amount on the subsidy offered by Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board (ULDB).