ADILABAD: Banning of sand mining and grazing by animals reared by the nomadic Rabaris, construction of animal hostels, installing 50 cameras inside the forests, constituting anti-poaching squads, including more forested and hilly area into the game reserve etc. are some of the habitat improvement measures proposed by the Committee on Kawwal Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) which got down to brass tacks even as the environmental haven was declared a tiger reserve in principle.
Concrete plan
The efforts to improve the nearly 900 sq km KWS received a tremendous fillip after the visit of the AP Assembly Committee on Wildlife and Environment Protection headed by Speaker Nadendla Manohar last month end.
A concrete plan for development will emerge when the Committee meets at Jannaram on June 28, according to Mancherial MLA G. Arvind Reddy, a member of the Assembly Committee as well as KWS Committee.
Mr. Reddy says about 300 sq km of threatened forests, including hills on the fringes of the sanctuary, is proposed to be incorporated in the KWS. This will mean shifting of large villages like Mangi and Gundal in Tiryani mandal.
No dearth of funds
“Villagers have agreed to be translocated in the interest of protection of precious forests,” the MLA reveals. “There will be no dearth of funds for relocating entire villages once the sanctuary is declared as tiger reserve,” he adds, as he talks in detail about the ground work that he has done regarding improvement of the habitat.
The nearly 25 km of road between Indanpalli and Kadem is also proposed to be permanently closed down for traffic.
“The existing road through Kallada can be strengthened for heavy vehicle traffic though it will increase the run by about 5 km,” Mr. Reddy says.
Animal hostels
“Among the most interesting developments inside the KWS in the future will be the animal hostels.
These facilities will accommodate local cattle, have provision for fodder cultivation and help proposed milk cooperatives,” says Imran Siddiqui of the Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HYTICOS), who is actively involved in conservation in the KWS.
