Project Tiger was launched more than three decades ago, but over the years only failures abound. When one can expect stupendous rise in the numbers of tigers in the country, there numbers have drastically fallen.

Let alone in the forests, even in the reserved areas meant for tigers the situation is pathetic. Many national parks in India have already gone tiger-less.

Many a times poachers are hand in glove with the forest officials while in other cases the forest officials are ill equipped to counter the onslaught of organised gang of poachers with their sophisticated weapons. The forest staff are required to have sophisticated weapons to combat poaching. Arms and ammunition are inadequate in many tiger reserves, including Simlipal.

The India Eco-Development Project (IEDP) was a pilot project to conserve biodiversity through eco-development. Test checks revealed weaknesses in regulation of the project allowance expenditure by various tiger reserves. The allowance was paid to ineligible personnel and funds demanded on this account were more than what could actually be spent. Out of Rs 15 lakh released to Simlipal in 2005-06, Rs 7.31 lakh was given to the staff working in three divisions outside the reserve. As per Sec 35 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the State notifies an area as a National Park.

However, in many tiger reserves, including Simlipal, the final declaration procedures of National Park (Core) and Sanctuary (Buffer) were pending till March 2006, even though the amended Wildlife (Protection) Act 2003 had set a time-limit for completion of acquisition proceedings. Project Tiger Directorate (PTD) issued guidelines to regulate tourism in reserve areas in April 2003.

The guidelines highlighted the need for fixing a ceiling on the number of visitors entering at any time in any given part of the tiger reserve. It prescribed the method for working out tourist carrying capacity and emphasised the need to keep minimum distance between the vehicles (500mtr) and between the tourist vehicles and the wild animals (30mtr) etc. However, there was no system in PTD to ensure the States complied with its directives.

Simlipal and Sariska have not worked out the tourist carrying capacity . The Wildlife Conservation Strategy 2002 of MoEF envisaged the revenue earned from tourism should be used to augment available resources for conservation. However, though the revenue receipts during 2000-05 were considerable, no development fund was created.

In Simlipal, 49.03 per cent revenue was realised from tourism but no development fund created. Grasslands are essential for sustaining the prey population of the predators contributing 70 per cent of tiger diet. The guidelines of MoEF provides for estimation of herbivores annually. The estimation of prey base was not carried out at Simlipal during 2000-05. Scrutiny of records of eco-development in the reserves revealed lack of adequate initiative, shortage of funds or funds unspent, non-achievement of targets etc.

In Simlipal due to non-utilisation of funds released during 2000-02, the required funds were not released by the Centre in subsequent years. Further, though there had been a target for the construction of community centre and payment of incentives to the staff and villagers of core area for meritorious works no effort was made towards this.

The PTD had from time to time issued directives towards protection initiatives in Tiger Reserves, which included constitution of squads and special instructions to them covering several aspects. While funds were not allocated for creation of strike force in many reserves, in others they were not created though funds were available.

Though Rs 91.61 lakh were sanctioned for the creation of strike force in Simlipal, no action was taken by it. The Subramanian Committee and the National Wildlife Action Plan stressed on setting up special courts for fast disposal of cases of forest offences.

However, many States including Orissa have no such courts. Patrolling is integral to ensuring protection of wildlife in the reserves. PTD in June 2002 instructed the Chief Wildlife Wardens that an area of 25-30 km sq should be brought under each patrolling camp and chowki in the tiger reserves.

At the national level, 28 reserves were covered by 1,070 patrolling camps, which indicate coverage of about 35 km sq under each camp. Total area in Simlipal is 2,750 km sq having 46 chowkis. Area covered by each chowki is thus 59.78 km sq. The area covered by a forester in the Sunderbans, Simlipal and Namdapha reserves were in the range of 110 and 467 km sq as against the national average of 53.29 km sq.