BENGALURU: The Kudremukh Wildlife Division is planning to implement wide-ranging measures for greater detection and conviction of wildlife and forest offences. As of now, detection rates is very low as the forest staff have to cover vast distances and even if an offence is found, formal complaints are rarely lodged.
Kudremukh Wildlife Division Deputy Conservator of Forests Maria Christu Raja told Express, “We are working towards greater convictions in the few pending wildlife cases within this division. The detection of lake poisoning in April this year at the Lakya Holle and the arrest of three persons will act as a deterrent for people engaging in illegal activities within the national park. Detection is low for the reason that nobody misses the trees or the animals. Nobody gives any formal complaint for a specific offence. However, regular and efficient foot patrolling is the surest way to control offences.”
He added, “We are in the process of improving foot patrolling effectiveness by training field staff on observation and detection of offences in protected areas as this is an area spread across Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. One forest personnel has to cover 20-30 sq km in a terrain that is undulating, remote and varying, so detection becomes low.”
On April 11, three poachers were convicted for a one-year jail term in a 2002 case on Chital poaching within the Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary limits that is a part of this division.
The DCF adds, “Wildlife offences are a serious business. The risk to life and property far outweighs what the offenders expect to take away from wildlife. Our concerted efforts would be to pass on this message to all the offenders and would be offenders.”
A wildlife activist, who has been aiding and helping the department in detection of offences, said, “The problem lies in the inexperience of the forest staff at the lower levels. There are no spot mahazars, the chargesheet is not pucca and has a lot of mistakes. Sometimes, the case is weakened by the forest guard himself, so the case becomes technically weak and is dismissed in court.”
“Apart from this, if it is a case of weapons, there are no witness signatures and many other loopholes that the lets the offender go scot-free. We have seen very few cases being booked in this division - chital killing, sandalwood smuggling, and the recent case of fish poisoning. Fire offences are rampant but officers have not used the prevailing laws effectively to book cases against offenders who have set fire to shola forests.”
On the measures to be taken to ensure greater conviction, the DCF said, “A few initiatives have taken off. However, measures for greater conviction depend on documentation. The case should properly reflect in the documents. To make this strong, we are training our staff on proper documentation, investigation procedures and presentation of the case to the court. In addition to this, workshops are being held for target groups like police, advocates, judges and media personnel on wildlife and forest laws to help them understand the nuances of wildlife protection and deal with wildlife cases they come across. Experience sharing by serving staff on cases they have booked, their success and failures, and training workshops have been planned but they are yet to take off.”