Ranchi, Aug 25 (PTI) Tree coverage, quality of the habitat, and animal population have declined in Jharkhand’s wildlife sanctuaries and a national park between 2017 and 2021, according to a CAG report tabled in the state assembly on Monday.
While the area covered by trees decreased by 2.60 per cent, bare ground and built-up areas increased by 13.51 per cent and 22.33 per cent respectively during the period, it said.
Similarly, the animal population, which was at 20,028 in 2017-18, declined to 12,104 in 2019-20 but rose to 19,882 in 2020-21 in the state’s national parks and sanctuaries.
The wildlife sanctuaries and national park mainly house leopards, wolves, sloth bears, deer, elephants, jackals, chital, sambhars, wild boars and hyenas.
Jharkhand has a network of 11 wildlife sanctuaries and one national park. Additionally, there is a Tiger Reserve in Palamau and an Elephant Reserve in Singhhum.
“A Performance Audit on ‘Conservation of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Jharkhand’, covering all 12 sanctuaries and park, for the period from 2018-19 to 2022-23 was conducted to assess the adequacy of planning and funding, measures adopted for management and the efficacy of internal controls and monitoring mechanism in place,” the report said.
According to the land use land cover (LULC) data of the 12 PAs (performance audit) covering an area of 4,228.95 sq km, the area covered by trees had decreased by 67.89 sq km (2.67 per cent) in 2021 compared to 2017, it added.
During the same period, bare ground had increased by75.04 sq km (13.51 per cent) and built up area increased by 22.43 sq km (22.35 per cent) as was found in 12 PAs, the report said.
The audit noticed that the estimated total wildlife population in the PAs had come down from 20028 in 2017-18 to 19882 in 2021. The forest department did not conduct the annual animal census during 2021-22 in seven PAs.
“The wide fluctuations in the wildlife population by 38 per cent in 2018-19 and 64 per cent increase in 2020-21, compared to previous year’s population, indicated the possibility that the department had not adopted scientific census mechanism, third eye surveillance, scat analysis, footmark survey to validate the census data gathered through transect walk and waterhole data recording,” the report added.
The report further said the state government had not fully settled the rights of individuals or communities in 11 out of 12 PAs.
“Around 67 per cent of the PAs were designated as protected forests, where rights of local communities and individuals had been suspended without providing alternative resources, leading to biotic pressure, forest degradation and depletion of fodder for wildlife,” it added.
Financial and administrative mismanagement further aggravated these issues, the report said.
“During 2018-23, Rs 41.22 crore (10 per cent of the available funds) remained unutilised,” it said.
The report recommended that the government expedite the process of settlement of rights of individuals and communities, ensure preparation of site-specific plans for conservation activities, prepare zonal management plans for all eco-sensitive zones to regulate prohibited activities, ensure deployment of skilled personnel for patrolling and fill up vacancies of frontline staff and specialized officers on priority. PTI SAN NN
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