ADILABAD: Villagers from Alinagar, Dongapalli and Mallial have expressed their readiness to relocate from the core area of Kawal Tiger Reserve in erstwhile Adilabad district. This decision comes after the relocation of two villages—Maisampet and Rampur—to Kothpadepally in Kadam mandal, where all facilities have been provided.
Mancherial District Forest Officer Shiv Aasheesh Singh, along with revenue officials, visited Mallial village in Jannaram mandal and organised a meeting with the tribals, who agreed to relocate. However, the villagers demanded five acres of cultivable land, houses and other necessary facilities.
The Mulkala forest area, located within the Luxettipet range, near Mancherial district headquarters, is considered suitable for relocation, and all 102 families from Mallial will be resettled there. The villagers expressed satisfaction with the new location.
Big cats migrate from Tadoba Reserve to Kawal
There has been a noticeable migration of tiger populations from the Tadoba Tiger Reserve and Thippeshwar Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra to the Khagaznagar corridor and the Kawal Tiger Reserve. Tadoba Reserve is around 135 km from Khagaznagar. The Khagaznagar area is now considered a key landscape for tigers.
The distance from Thippeshwar Reserve to Kawal Tiger Reserve is around 143 km, passing through the Adilabad forest area, crossing the Penganga River and NH 44 before reaching Kawal Tiger Reserve. However, this area is difficult for tigers to settle in due to human disturbances.
To address this, forest officials are working on relocating villages from the core area to help ensure a stable environment for tigers in the region. So far, two villages have been relocated, and grasslands have been planted. Plans are also in progress to relocate three more villages.
Five tigers spotted
The Kawal Tiger Reserve and its corridor, which span across regions such as Mancherial, Jannaram, Khanapur, Utnoor, Chennur, Bellampalli, Asifabad, Khagaznagar and other areas of the erstwhile Adilabad district, cover around 1.21 lakh acres of forest. Four to five tigers, including the famous “Jhony Tiger,” are reported to be moving through these areas.
Kawal Tiger Reserve was established in 2012, with a core area of 892.23 sq km and a buffer area of 1,123.21 sq km. Within the core area, there are 39 habitations, and in the first phase of relocation, nine villages were selected.
Recently, forest officials from Mancherial visited Thippeshwar Tiger Reserve to study relocation measures and planning strategies.
They are working on a detailed plan for the relocation of additional villages to support tiger conservation efforts in the region.