BHOPAL: Tiger conservationists believe that had Ratapani been notified as a tiger reserve by now, frequent tiger sightings at Bhadbhada which has become a cause of concern would not have happened.
Although the forest department has installed electronic surveillance (e-eye) to protect the big cat from poaching in the area, their constant sighting has been making locals jittery.
As the world tiger day is observed on Wednesday, experts are of the view that dwindling prey base inside the sanctuary, which is just 60 kms from the state capital, is the major reason why big cats are straying out and knocking at Bhopal's doorstep.
Chief conservator of forest Bhopal, Mahendra Yaduvendu said, "Sometimes one tiger is sighted, sometimes four. They have been moving in the jungles of Samardha, Kathotia and Kerwan. They come from Ratapani through a jungle corridor."
Four e-eyes installed about 6 -month back in the jungles near Bhadbhada have been capturing every movement of humans and vehicles to ensure safety of tigers. He said that a control room has been set up to monitor the movement inside these jungles 24X7.
These tigers would have not strayed out had the Ratapani sanctuary been developed as a tiger reserve as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already given its approval for the same more than five years ago, experts said.
After an inordinate delay in notifying the sanctuary as a tiger reserve, wildlife activist Ajay Dube filed a petition in the high court.
Its final hearing will be held next week, said Siddharth Gupta, his counsel.
As the matter is subjudice, the forest department has refused to talk about the issue.
However, wildlife experts said, "If Ratapani is developed as tiger reserve, a prey base can be developed in the jungle by developing grasslands for the prey to survive".
A corridor from Jawra village to Jhiri leading to Kerwa can be developed as prey base and then the tigers would not knock at the doors of Bhopal, they said.
Sometime ago, spotted deer from Van Vihar were translocated to Ratapani. As many as eight tigers were counted in the last census in Ratapani earlier this year.
Besides Ratapani, notification of Omkareshwar national park and two sanctuaries - Mandhata and Survanya - in Khandwa - has also been lying pending for long. They were marked for deforestation and submergence in Indira Sagar project.
