In a first, a ruling party activist in the erstwhile Adilabad district has got involved in a case of wildlife offence — killing of a tiger and trying to smuggle out its skin — that came to light on December 5. This has raised the question of accountability of TRS cadres and leaders in such crimes.
The forest officials have identified six accused in the case that includes TRS activist Inge Kishan from Gourapur in Indervelli mandal. Hitherto, the ruling party cadres and leaders were accused in cases related to timber smuggling or illegal mining of sand/stone from reserve forests.
“The moment we arrest an accused belonging to the ruling party, we get a call from some big shot to release him or at least be lenient when booking a case,” lamented a forest official when faced with the question of accountability. “Why only the officials be held accountable for failing to protect wildlife when the government itself does not give a damn?” he questioned.
Among the cases of the involvement of TRS partymen that another forest official recounted were the one of seizure of timber worth over ₹60 lakh from a dump in Adilabad town, in which the brother of a staunch follower of former Forest Minister Jogu Ramanna was one of the accused. “Almost all the tractors that operate illegally carting sand from Kawal belong to ruling party workers,” he pointed out.
In January 2015, villagers from habitations in Pembi forest range in Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR), now in Nirmal district, mercilessly cut over 700 trees in about two nights. This clearing is now being converted into a road, again illegally. Records pertaining to tigers reveal that since 2013, a total of 17 big cats have gone missing from the forests of old Adilabad district, three being the cubs of famous Phalguna in Kagaznagar forests, now in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. Four of these missing big cats were poached.
“Kawal is not being maintained as a tiger reserve what with the ongoing encroachments, illegal electric fencing around agriculture fields, and roads being laid illegally at Fakirpet in Sirchelma range between Mamidipalli and Kawal in Kawal range, Gundala and Dandepalli and in Dathojipet and Islampur,” said Imran Siddqui of Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTiCoS) as he drew attention to the state of affairs at KTR. The Multani timber smugglers are carrying on with their illegal felling of teak, also in Pembi range.
Field Director, Project Tiger, C. Saravanan, however, was in a positive frame of mind when he told newsmen, following the tiger skin seizure, that the lacunae would be identified and plugged after a thorough investigation into the case. The question is, would he be given a free hand to curb illegal activities within the protected area?
