BENGALURU: Prince Hamlet’s epic lines, “To be or not to be...” perhaps best describes the present status of the Kudremukh National Park (KNP) in Karnataka. Getting the tag of a tiger reserve for KNP has been hanging in balance for the last four years as successive governments in Karnataka have rejected it for many a reason.
With the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) giving the final approval for KNP to be declared as a tiger reserve and Union Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar stating this in Parliament, wildlife activists and conservationists say time and again, the Centre has accorded this tag but nothing has happened to change the status of this park. In fact, Karnataka has all along opposed this order and the recent announcement by the minister will create more confusion.
Speaking to The Sunday Standard, Madan Gopal, Additional Chief Secretary, forest, environment and ecology, said “The state government has never agreed to this status as there was lot of resistance from the local people as well as deputations for not according tiger reserve status to KNP.”
It may be recalled that in May 2011, KNP had been granted approval for the status of a tiger reserve by the NTCA and therefore, the UPA government had directed the state government to send in its proposal for declaring it as a tiger reserve. However, the then state government had written a letter explaining the state’s opposition for the tag. In June 2012, the then Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda had rejected the centre’s proposal and stated that there were already five tiger reserves in the state and the number of tigers too had increased and further, it would affect and displace thousands of tribal people.
Elected representatives of three districts too had opposed it tooth and nail and had opined that if this national park got this status, then more than 600 square kilometers would be carved out as an exclusive habitat for tigers, thereby hindering the free movement of people especially the tribal community in this area. In fact, a few tribal and farmer rights organization had vetoed this proposal. Another fear was it would give an impetus to Naxalites to increase their influence and activate their cadres in these districts.
On the other hand wildlife experts say with this tag, KNP would have got more funding, but there would not have been much changes as whatever law is applicable to a national park, the same thing applies to a tiger reserve. They opined that the entire campaign launched by elected representatives had misguided the local people.
Managing Trustee of NGO Wildlife First, Praveen Bhargav said, “Ultimately, it is the state that has to notify a tiger reserve on the NTCA’s recommendation. The real concern is about the confusion created due to a concerted mis-information campaign about people losing their bona-fide lands.The declaration as a tiger reserve would have ensured more funding,” Bhargav elaborated.
Wildlife conservationist from Chikkamagaluru D V Girish added, “The Union Minister’s statement has created more confusion in the minds of people. There has been stiff opposition from Chikkamagalur, Udupi and Dakshin Kannada MLAs and in fact, they have instilled fear in the minds of the local people that they would be displaced from their homes if this status was given.”
