The Union Government and international organisations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), will hold the second round of talks to discuss measures to clear the wildlife corridor used by elephants between Uttarakhand and Nepal. The talks are being organised by Uttarakhand.
Though elephants continue to use this corridor, the four villages set up on the Nepal side during the Maoist movement and the resulting human activity is hampering the elephant movement.
It may be recalled that forest officials of Uttarakhand and Nepal had met in Tanakpur on December 8 to discuss measures for allowing free movement of elephants on the wildlife corridor and to initiate cooperation on tackling wildlife poaching and smuggling.
According to information provided by official sources, there is need for the Government of India to undertake efforts at the political level so that necessary action is taken in Nepal to clear the corridor.
There are about 160 huts in four rural settlements on the Nepal side of the corridor set up during the Maoist movement in 2006. Farming, erection of barriers and other human activities are hampering the movement of elephants.
Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh will also be approached by the State in order to ensure the execution of steps needed for clearing this corridor which passes through the Kilpura and Sharda forest ranges in Champawat District of Uttarakhand to the forests in Kanchanpur area of Nepal.
According to the Uttarakhand Forest and Environment Advisory Committee vice chairman Anil Baluni, apart from facilitating free movement of elephants between Nepal and India through this corridor in Uttarakhand, the State has also sought information about five poachers in Nepal active in Uttarakhand.
As the most of poaching and smuggling activities are linked to Nepal, effective clampdown on the nexus in that nation will greatly control wildlife crimes in Uttarakhand and other Indian States.
The second round of talks to be held on these issues is slated to be held within a fortnight and will be attended by Union Government officials and experts from WWF among others.
