He belongs to a different breed of officers; one who loves to be out in the wild and believes only what he sees. That’s Sunil S. Hiremath for you. In a discussion with The Hindu, the District Forest Officer of Nizamabad says he makes it a point to frequently visit the blackbuck kingdom at the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) backwaters near Nandipet in the district.
“Honestly, once the place got highlighted on social media, thanks to some amazing photographs by wildlife and nature lovers, it has become a major tourist attraction. And, in the process, it has led to uncontrolled tourism. This, we believe is one of the major reasons for causing disturbance to these blackbucks,” Mr. Hiremath explains.
Although there are plans to regulate entry, it is not an easy task, given how vast the stretch is, the officer adds. “It is not that we are naive about the threat perception to the blackbucks. We do have eco-tourism plans and hope things will improve in the coming days. But it will take time for sure,” the DFO says.
Importantly, the area needs to be protected, he says, adding, “We are keeping vigil for sure but because there are so many easy entry and exit points to the place, it is an uphill, though not an impossible, task.”
On the threat of poachers, the DFO says it is a possibility, especially given how a poacher had boasted about his trophy hunting in Warni mandal on social media, holding a licenced rifle in hand and the kill kept in the boot of an SUV.
Has any poacher been nabbed? “A team from Hyderabad, after being alerted, did catch one person who was there apparently for hunting. But we couldn’t build a strong case against him because only a hare was recovered from his possession,” Mr. Hiremath recalls.
As the next course of action, he shares that community-supported eco tourism is being promoted, which also means a lot of advantage for the locals in terms of livelihood opportunities. “We are going to involve residents of villages in the vicinity in a big way to protect these blackbucks and other wildlife species,” he added.
Mr Hiremath shares plans of a road track from Ummeda, located close to Lokeswaram mandal in Nirmal district, connecting Nandipet where the blackbucks are found in abundance. “We are planning to open it to visitors only during summers when the backwaters recede and the water from the SRSP is released for agricultural lands in low-lying areas,” he points out.
“We do believe that with increased road connectivity, wildlife will be protected as that will also ensure regulated entry. The Forest Development Corporation, too, has come forward with some concrete plans in this regard,” he adds.
Is it a missed opportunity, given that thousands of blackbucks could be sighted here three years ago? “I don’t think so. Yes, the declining number is a matter of concern. But, we are confident of restoring them to large numbers once all the plans are put in place,” the officer concludes.
