Anti-poaching Camp @ Nilgiris
Four anti-poaching camps have been set up in Gudalur forest division in Nilgiris district to monitor and prevent tree felling, besides encroachment of new lands, particularly when the settlement work of Gudalur Janmam lands is underway.The works on the camps were completed in March last and they would start functioning from this monsoon season, the time when people are likely to violate laws, said Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle, P C Tyagi.The camps set up in all the four ranges in the division namely, Pandalur, Vitherkad, Cherambadi and Gudalur have a panoramic view of large areas.Each camp may cover around 100 sq km area. They would be manned by four anti-poaching watchers, one guard and one watcher.The staff would permanently stay in the camps constructed at a cost of Rs 2 lakh each.Binoculars, walkie-talkies and wireless sets would be provided to each of the camps so that the staff could monitor forest areas for outbreak of fire or other illegal activities and take immediate action.The department would also take steps to supply food for the camp staff, Tyagi said.The forest department would not take any chances in Gudalur, where the main areas of concern were tree-felling and encroachments, he said adding anti-social elements from Kerala were reported to be encroaching upon the lands for setting up tea, coffee and cardamom plantations.
District Forest Officer K Kandasamy said that following a crackdown in January and February last, in which more than 30 persons were arrested, there was a let up in smuggling activities.He pointed out that according to the Rosewood Conservation Act, the management of the plantation companies were responsible for the protection of private forest wealth.Since Gudalur was adjacent to Mudumalai sanctuary and Kerala, the movements of wild animals, including elephants, bisons, tigers and panthers, were witnessed often, he said.
