In a bold alternative approach to wildlife tourism, Maharashtra on Sunday turned ownership of wildlife back to the people with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a programme in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) rolling out a community-based Nature Conservancy (CNC) that encourages people owning land alongside government-owned parks and reserves to pool their land parcels together for hosting and protecting wildlife population, and earning a regular income from it. With this announcement, Maharashtra becomes country’s first state to adopt the ‘conservancy’ concept for wildlife tourism that has had a profound impact on economy and tourism in Masaimara and Serengeti in Africa. The programme envisages involvement of communities around national parks and sanctuaries in re-wilding of farmlands rendered uneconomic due to various factors such as crop depredation by wildlife, limited space, less agriculture yield, human encroachment in forests, increased conflict, injuries and loss of life. [related-post] It also aims to involve private enterprises to invest in the areas to help communities develop the CNC into a remunerative source of alternative income. The first such project is coming up at Gothangaon, a village in Nagpur district, affected by Gosikhurd irrigation project. Locals would also benefit from job and income opportunities generated through various eco-tourism initiatives, while being assured of a ‘guaranteed annual cash compensation’ for up to two times their farm output; the money for which would be raised through donations and voluntary corporate contributions. The CNC is expected to usher in a win-win situation for humans, forests and wildlife by ending the mutual conflict. “The whole concept is to create a sustainable future for animals, local communities, the environment and visitors alike. It is also the best way to reduce man-animal conflict and ensure livelihood based on wildlife conservation for locals,” said Fadnavis, who on Sunday also reviewed the Gothangaon project along with Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Senior state officials said that the government’s desire was to address the escalating issue of man-animal conflict and a shrinking forest cover through the initiative. A showcase project to promote the initiative is also ready. About 39 land owners from Gothangaon village in Vidharbha, which is sandwiched between the Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary and the backwaters of the Goshikhurd irrigation project, have consented to pool together 105 acre farm lands, mostly used for grazing livestock, to set up the first such CNC. Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Pravin Pardeshi also informed that some other communities located near the Pench and Bor tiger reserves have evinced interest too. Later in the day, the CM also visited TATR and was lucky to spot two tigresses — Maya and Tara. The CM had asked his security paraphernalia to stay away to visit the reserve along with CMO principle secretary Pravin Sinh Pardeshi, principle chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Shri Bhagwan and a few forest officials. As the CM’s car was making its way through the dense Tadoba jungle, tigress Maya even hunted down a Sambhar in front of his vehicle and pulling it away into the bushes to feed her three cubs. In the last four years, the state has seen over 21,000 cattle deaths, 2,063 human deaths and injuries, and over 65,000 cases of crop depredation by wildlife with compensations costs of over Rs 10 crore, Rs 9 crore and Rs 19 crore respectively. This has also burnt a hole in the state exchequer, with the government having to cough up Rs 39 crore in compensation for the losses. For an average wildlife enthusiast, the concept brings the promise of expanded areas of protected habitat for the wildlife. The state has also attempted to control the number of tourism camps that can be set up in these areas promising to improve the overall safari experience for a tourist. The lodges and tourism camps will now be promoted on revenue lands outside protected areas. Bittu Sahgal, Founding Editor, Sanctuary Asia, a premier wildlife and ecology magazine, welcomed the state’s initiative. “Turning wildlife tourism into a conservation tool will be most productive. It has the potential to transform local communities into passionate conservationists and climate warriors, while ensuring that they benefit directly from wildlife tourism,” he said.
