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Introduction
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Census
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Forests
Kanha
Tiger Reserve, comprising parts of the Mandla & Balaghat
districts of Madhya Pradesh, and located in the "Maikal" hills of
the Satpuras, is internationally renowned for its rich floral and
faunal attributes. The Reserve is an excellent interspersion of the Dadars (flat hill tops), grassy expanses, dense forests and riverine forests. It is very rich in flora, largely due to the combination of landforms and soil types, apart from the moist character of the region The rich habitat diversity of the Reserve
supports a wide range of wildlife species along with innumerable
lesser life forms, and is the sanctum sanctorum of many typical
Central Indian fauna. Besides harbouring a viable population of the tiger, Kanha has distinguished itself in saving the endangered hard ground barasingha from extinction, and supporting the last world population of this deer species Kanha
Tiger Reserve is constituted on a "core-buffer" strategy. The entire
National Park area of 940 sq. km. is visualised as a "core zone",
free from all biotic disturbances. A buffer zone of 1009 sq. km.
surrounding the core is treated as a "multiple use area". The buffer
zone comprises almost 40 per cent of forest area and the rest is
constituted by revenue and private land. This zone is characterized
by an interspersion of revenue and forest lands, pock-marked with
numerous villages. Besides, the Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, a
satellitic micro-core of 110 sq. km., is also under the
administration of the Reserve Management. The significance of this
micro-core lies in the exchange of gene-pool and dispersal of
wildlife populations between the two conservation units. The buffer zone has been
notified by the state Government as a separate division and is under
the unified control of the
The Reserve is a part of the Gondwana tract inhabited traditionally and chiefly by the Gond and Baiga tribes, the latter confining themselves largely to the upper valleys and dadars near the main Maikal range. Information concerning the early history of these forests prior to 1860 is extremely scanty. The villagers had free access to cut and burn forest at will. The system of shifting cultivation, locally called "Bewar" - prevailed almost unhindered until 1870 on the hill slopes.
Chital , Sambar , Barasingha , Barking deer ,
Chousingha , Gaur , Langur , Wild pig , Jackal, Sloth bear, Wild
dog, Panther, Tiger . Reptiles: Python, Indian Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Indian Krait, Common Rat Snake, Common Skink, Indian Monitor, Fan Throated Lizard and Indian Garden Lizard etc. Fishes: Giant Danio, Common Rasbora, Mud Perches, Brown Snakehead and Green Snakehead etc. Birds: The Reserve supports around 300 species of birds.
nce the core zone of a Project Tiger area should have the least human interference, the Management envisages exclusion of human interference in the form of human settlements, domestic livestock, agriculture and other land use practices, by the gradual relocation of existing habitations. This is required to safeguard the endangered gene-pool of flora and fauna. In the past, 27 forest villages have been relocated at Government expense in a phased manner from the core area of Kanha Tiger Reserve. Although some extremist engineered activities were reported outside the protected area in the adjoining districts during 1990, the park area remained undisturbed subsequently due to constant and strict vigil and the managerial activities were not hampered. Intensive patrolling is now regularly carried out and various stringent protective measures (coupled with strengthening of wireless network) have been taken, apart from ecodevelopment inputs in the specially constituted buffer zone division.
Special
Projects Daily monitoring of the endangered barasingha
population is also ensured in the prescribe format. Cattle immunization programme in core and
buffer zones is carried out periodically. Ecodevelopment
Committees There are 106 EDCs in the buffer and 25 in the
core zone involved in various ecodevelopmental initiatives with the
Reserve Management. Livestock population There are about 30,000 cattle heads in the
forest villages of the core zone. The total pressure is of around
80,000 cattle heads in the Reserve. Grazing There is complete control over grazing by
cattle in the core i.e. National Park. In the Buffer specific areas
have been earmarked for grazing by the cattle of forest / revenue
villages under effective grazing schemes. There is no poaching on commercial scale in the
Reserve, nor is there any timber maffia operating on the periphery
of the reserve. Sporadic cases of subsistence poaching and illicit
cutting of poles by indigenous people for their use takes place
which are dealt with strictly. Poaching cases detected/seized by the Park
Management Though there are no criminals and extremists in
the real sense of the terms but there is no dearth of the so-called
custodians and social activists opposing government policies for the
eco-upliftment of the villagers. Diseases Problems False propaganda about the newly constituted
buffer zone division by self-styled women social activists and
eco-illiterate carving for recognition. Lack of special statutory protection to field
staff for acts done in good faith while discharging their duties,
and delayed judicial proceedings. Lack of a special statutory body / authority /
legal support for integrated regional community development planning
in the buffer zone. Fragmentation of vegetal connectivity linking
the Tiger Reserve to their PAs owing to biotic pressure. Ground frost at times hampers regeneration of
plant species. Mining The Hidusthan Copper Ltd. (around 7 km beyond
the buffer boundary). Irrigation Matiari Project (around 1 km. away from the
buffer boundary). Control of the
Buffer Conflicts |
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the
buffer zone division for site-specific micro-planning. Further, the
team frequently convenes village level meetings for promoting
awareness amongst the local inhabitants, apart from carrying out
meaningful interpretation of PA values.