JAIPUR: It was a first-of-its-kind incident at the Ranthambhore tiger reserve two years ago when 50-year-old Daulat Singh Shaktawat, a forest ranger, was suddenly attacked by a tiger. The ranger was trying to tranquilize the big cat that had strayed into a village but had ventured too near. It was a close shave for Shaktawat who had to be airlifted to the capital for treatment.
To prevent such accidents in future, the reserve was given three specially designed four-wheel drive vehicles christened Rapid Response Unit (RRU). Another RRU has also been given to the Sariska tiger reserve. The RRU consists of a modified four-wheel drive (4 WD) Mahindra Camper replete with essential equipment for addressing emergency situations such as human-animal conflict, wildlife rescue operations, forest fires and anti-poaching patrolling treks.
But months downs the line, the vehicles have proved to be a damp squib. According to sources in the forest department, the vehicle has failed to come good in emergency situations with its bulkiness clearly weighing down the swiftness with which it is expected to operate. The latest test for the vehicle came when male tiger T-24 recently attacked and killed assistant forester Gheesu Singh. The forest officials choose rather not to use the vehicle than arrive at the spot late.
"The vehicles are hardly used by the forest department in any kind of a conflict situation. The vehicles travel slow, more so when going uphill, and are noisy," a source revealed.
"There are a plethora of problems with the RRUs," says conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch. Khandal was one amongst those who arrived at the spot first for rescuing Gheesu Singh. "It is too heavy and big and is not easy for use in forest terrains. The vehicle has a stretched body making it difficult for it to cross deep nullahs. The upper storage space built in it is too heavy and it often imbalances the vehicle all the more as its centre of gravity is at higher level," he adds.
Khandal also pointed out that being a diesel vehicle, it is noisy besides the fact that the foot that rests on both its sides causes it to bump on rocky patches.
In fact, even an official from the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), a-Mumbai based public charitable organization, that has assembled the vehicle, has agreed that "heaviness is an issue with the vehicle. The vehicle was not designed for mountainous regions. It was supposed to be used in conflict situations in-and-around villages. Due to inadequate patrolling vehicles, unfortunately, the RRU is being used as a multi-purpose vehicle and there lies the problem."
However, WCT officials also believe the problem is being addressed. "We have forced Mahindra and Mahindra to redesign the RRU themselves, which they have done and shared with us. The design of the RRU in Phase-II has been altered based on the feedback of the field staff," says a WCT official.
