COIMBATORE: Anti-Poaching Watchers are critical in protecting the wildlife though they work on a temporary basis. They have demanded Rs 2,500 grocery allowance as is currently paid for APWs in tiger reserves.
APWs say with better pay and also cash assistance their services can be improved.
As part of their work APWs have to set up camps inside the forest to ensure that the forest and wild animals are safe from poachers. Also, their timely interventions help in reducing human-wildlife conflicts, especially in the aforementioned areas reporting several such cases.
They require cash handout by the forest department to purchase groceries as they stay put in the forests for several days at a stretch.
While Rs 2,500 is being given to each APW working in tiger reserves, those APWs working in forest divisions like Coimbatore, Gudalur, Nilgiris and Sathyamangalam have to put up with meagre pay and don't get grocery allowance.
"Our monthly salary is only Rs 16,000. If the state government provides Rs 2,500 cash exclusively to buy groceries we can cook food at the APW camp itself. Now we have to visit our house often to take food parcels that can be used for two days in the camp. Most days we spent our own money to buy groceries," said an APW on condition of anonymity.
Another APW said that there is no assurance to our life as they risk their life by driving wild elephants and patrolling the forest.
"We work for forest welfare. However, our needs have not been addressed properly. The department should provide complete health insurance to us as all of APWs belong to poor economic backgrounds. Moreover, we need proper uniforms, shoes, raincoats, etc.. Walking outside the house is difficult in the ongoing harsh climate, and think about the difficulty in patrolling inside the forest," said another APW.
Speaking to TNIE S Angu Kumar, the State President of the Anti-Poaching Watchers and Other Field level Staff Association, said "Senior officials are aware of these issues and we have conveyed to them our problems several times. We have demanded payment of Rs 2,500 to our accounts so that we can purchase the groceries. However, nothing has been done."