The CAG report for 2005-06 suggest a sharp fall in tiger population in the state during the past five years. The number of big cats in Valmiki Tiger Project has gone down mysteriously with as many as 23 of them missing during the last three years. There is no confirmation whether they died, were killed or just strayed away.

According to the report, there were 56 tigers in the project in 2002 35 male, 17 female and four cubs. But the number came down to 33 by 2005. Eighty per cent of these 33 pug marks sighted during 2005 were located in buffer zone and habitat areas outside the tiger reserve.

The report, however, does not mention the reason behind the fall in tiger population at the Valmiki tiger reserve which came into existence in 1990. It does say that regular tiger sighting was not done and monthly reports on tiger mortality were not submitted by range officers. In fact, no mortality survey was conducted between 2000 and 2006, the report says.

Another reason, as indicated in the CAG report, could be the illegal activities in the project area. About 150 villages are situated within one km of the periphery of the protected area and these villagers have to pass through the protected area for communication as there are no alternative routes. Also, these villagers have been grazing their cattle in the forests.

Besides, the villagers are engaged in felling of trees and other illegal forest activities like poaching, the report says, adding forest guards do not have arms and ammunitions.

No less stunning is the fact that 2150 hectares of forest land was encroached by the Nepalese about two decades back. But no action was ever taken to get it vacated. However, in case of encroachment of another 186 hectares of land, 67 hectares were restored while court cases for the remaining encroached land are pending.

The CAG report says due to the poor management of the tiger project, promotion of wildlife tourism, as envisaged in the 1998 guidelines of the government of India, could not be planned.