Relocate Tadoba Villages Within A Year: High Court

A division bench of Justices Sharad Bobde and Mridula Bhatkar came down heavily on the forest department for its failure to relocate the villages for over two decades since 1987 when Tadoba was declared a tiger reserve. It added divisional commissioner as a respondent and asked him to take quarterly reviews of the relocation process, take monthly meeting of responsible officers, and submit a report.
 

The forest department expressed its inability to relocate the villages due to communication problems with the tribals living there. It said the villagers did not listen to forest officials. The judges asked the department to take help of two NGOs - Satpuda Foundation and Eco-pro - for counseling villagers. The court's direction came while hearing a suo motu plea of ever-depleting bamboo forest cover in TATR.
 

Earlier, the government pleader told the court that out of seven villages in core area, two and half were relocated while four and half still remained inside. Villagers from three villagers had shown willingness to relocate and around 200 families are staying there. On delay in relocation, the GP informed that it happened due to ever-changing policies from the government.
 

Recent policy is of granting Rs 10 lakh per family for relocation or their resettlement by the government. During last hearing, the bench had totally stopped tree felling inside the area through an interim order. The judges also issued show cause notices to respondents including the state, forest department and Chandrapur collector for dereliction of duties.
 

The HC had taken a serious cognizance of various media reports on ever-depleting bamboo forest cover in TATR due to rampant tree felling. It appointed Anand Jaiswal as amicus curiae. The judges had asked the forest department to immediately take steps to prevent bamboo felling. Jaiswal pointed reported to the court that illegal cutting of bamboo was rampant with the full consent of the forest authorities in the core and buffer areas. Villagers from nearby  areas such as Rantalodhi, Jamni and Palasgaon also indulged in illicit cutting and felling of bamboo for preparing articles, including mats. Said activity is also carried out in over a dozen places in nearby.