Corbett Director shifted for shoot at side order at poachers

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Corbett Tiger Reserve director Parag Madhukar Dhakate has been removed from his post as he ordered shoot-at-sight to contain poaching in the premier tiger reserve. The director had issued the order after he got information about poachers entering the southern side of the park. He had pressed some 150 forest officials to start patrolling and aerial surveillance was also stepped up to locate the poachers. There are 388 camera traps inside the forest and the photos were also reviewed for understanding poacher movement. The director had reportedly informed the nearby villagers about the measures and had asked them not to venture into the forest for grazing.

Poaching is taking a heavy toll on the tiger population. This action by the director was to send shivers down the spine of poachers. However, the alacrity with which the Government took action to remove him from the post has come as a surprise. The state is currently under election mode and the results will be declared on March 11th. The bureaucracy headed by the Chief Secretary S. Ramaswamy takes all decisions.

Recently BBC team had shown a negative documentary about Kaziranga and had accused the patrolling team of unnecessarily killing poachers. When honest officers are silenced by weak and mostly corrupt bureaucracy, India's Natural Heritage becomes the casualty.

[Subhash Shrivastava]

Very disappointing and outrageous. Things are becoming difficult day by day, first declaring wildlife vermin now tacit support to poachers. Poaching, specially of tigers, rhinos, leopards is run as a well organized international cartel, surely they have connections to the high offices.

[Debasis Bose]

Whatever bit I have seen and known about the transferred FD, is he was working for improving the reserve. Really sad, that people who work sincerely are treated so shabbily

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

WHAT'S GOING ON IN TIGER RESERVES: KAZIRANGA, SUNDARBANS

Following a BBC documentary criticising "aggressive" protection measures (shoot at orders at poachers) in Assam's Kaziranga, the NTCA has imposed a ban on the network and its journalist Justin Rowlatt on Monday (27 Feb 2017). When this order was issued, BBC shoot was underway in the Sundarbans

The crew originally had permission to shoot in the mangrove forest from 15 January to 15 March 2017. They started shooting on 1 February 2017 and wrapped it up by 28 February 2017 ( possibly, in view of NTCA orders)

Order Highlights:

NTCA disallowed filming permission to BBC in any of the protected areas of India for 5 years.
No fresh filming permit will be given to BBC in tiger reserves of India for 5 years.

Prized moments for BBC's Sundarbans shoot:

Tiger walking on mudflats, cooling itself in water; King Cobra swimming, Fishing Cat, Leopard Cat, Peregrine Falcon.

( Source: The Times of India, Kolkata dated 3 March 2017: Edited and a Gist prepared by me. )

SaktiWild