Climate change has started impacting the wildlife reserves of India. During 2019, as against the average annual rainfall of 1,200 to 1,300 mm, the Kanha National Park recorded 1,800 mm rainfall, 300 mm in a single day. This resulted in damage to the soil and water bodies that were filled with sand and debris. Many bridges were damaged in the deluge as was the vegetation. The management of Kanha National Park  needs to evolve ways to adapt to climatic vagaries and prepare a plan of action for long-term sustainability of the park, which is one of the oldest wildlife reserves of India.

One of the finest tiger habitats in the country and a haven for prey species like the barasingha, gaur and cheetal, Kanha comprises a large area of 1,949 sq km in the well-forested Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. It has a core area of 940 sq km and a 1,009 sq km buffer zone. It was notified as a reserved forest in 1879, as a sanctuary in 1933 and finally, a national park in 1955. Like other wildlife reserves,  Kanha too got a tremendous management boost with the introduction of Project Tiger in 1973. The adjacent Phen Wild Life Sanctuary spread over 110 sq km is part of its additional core area.

It is endowed with fabulously rich biodiversity of plant and animal genetic resources. Meadows full of grasses make it a perfect habitat both for the herbivorous animals as well as for the tiger and other carnivores. As a result it has plenty of tigers, leopards, gaurs, wild dogs, jackals, wild boar, langurs, pythons and a host of other wildlife. The national bird, the peacock, is seen all over the park in abundance.

The prey base for now more than 125 tigers is more than adequate with 40,000 cheetals, 11,000 sambhars and 800 barasinghas. Kanha has 139 families of birds, including migratory ones from the Himalayas, Central Asia and Europe like the golden oriel, greenish warbler, rosy starling, brown shriek, common stonechat, northern pintail ducks, barn starling, Malabar pied horn, Indian grey horn, wagles, white-backed vultures and so on.

The climatic and geological conditions, like undulating land mass and a network of water streams, ponds and lakes, are favourable for sustaining the rich biodiversity. The range of temperature from 43 to 44 degrees in summer and minus two degrees in winter and an annual rainfall of around 1,400 mm bring a wide range of biodiversity to this park.

The authorities deserve a lot of kudos for managing the park so well. They have created adequate infrastructural and logistic facilities like housing, schooling for their children and an innovative medical scheme along with other excellent workers’ welfare measures like soft loans. The souvenir shops and canteens are run by the workers’ society and the profit is shared as bonus annually. The turnover last year was Rs 95 lakh and this year so far it is around Rs 66 lakh despite the lockdown that saw a reduced footfall. These innovative steps are the cornerstone of the park’s management policy.

The scientific management of biodiversity is focussed on interdependence of species and non-living components. The park is known for some innovative measurers like focussing on other species than the tiger. The conservation programme of the barasingha, a threatened species, is now doing very well and animals are getting translocated to other wildlife reserves. The park management had made a few novel efforts like a “School for Rewilding Orphaned Tiger Cubs” in which they are rescued, reared, trained and released back in the wild.  A “Kanha Vikas Nidhi” had been created to support the infrastructure and livelihoods of the 27 villages that were shifted from the core area.  

The State Eco-Development Board is also active in the wildlife reserves in these activities and creating a win-win situation for both the people and wildlife. However, while interacting with the staff, one thing became clear. The State Government must look into the genuine grievances of the Range Officers and other field staff on their salary structures which need to be brought at par with police and forest staff of other States. The least the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government must do is to accede to their demands as it is their efforts that are making the forest rich in flora and fauna. This, in turn, is conserving water and helping agriculture in the area. Above all, they have made Madhya Pradesh a tiger State of India and resulted in boosting its economy through bio-tourism.   

(The writer is a former civil servant)

Climate change has started impacting the wildlife reserves of India. During 2019, as against the average annual rainfall of 1,200 to 1,300 mm, the Kanha National Park recorded 1,800 mm rainfall, 300 mm in a single day. This resulted in damage to the soil and water bodies that were filled with sand and debris. Many bridges were damaged in the deluge as was the vegetation. The management of Kanha National Park  needs to evolve ways to adapt to climatic vagaries and prepare a plan of action for long-term sustainability of the park, which is one of the oldest wildlife reserves of India.

One of the finest tiger habitats in the country and a haven for prey species like the barasingha, gaur and cheetal, Kanha comprises a large area of 1,949 sq km in the well-forested Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. It has a core area of 940 sq km and a 1,009 sq km buffer zone. It was notified as a reserved forest in 1879, as a sanctuary in 1933 and finally, a national park in 1955. Like other wildlife reserves,  Kanha too got a tremendous management boost with the introduction of Project Tiger in 1973. The adjacent Phen Wild Life Sanctuary spread over 110 sq km is part of its additional core area.

It is endowed with fabulously rich biodiversity of plant and animal genetic resources. Meadows full of grasses make it a perfect habitat both for the herbivorous animals as well as for the tiger and other carnivores. As a result it has plenty of tigers, leopards, gaurs, wild dogs, jackals, wild boar, langurs, pythons and a host of other wildlife. The national bird, the peacock, is seen all over the park in abundance.

The prey base for now more than 125 tigers is more than adequate with 40,000 cheetals, 11,000 sambhars and 800 barasinghas. Kanha has 139 families of birds, including migratory ones from the Himalayas, Central Asia and Europe like the golden oriel, greenish warbler, rosy starling, brown shriek, common stonechat, northern pintail ducks, barn starling, Malabar pied horn, Indian grey horn, wagles, white-backed vultures and so on.

The climatic and geological conditions, like undulating land mass and a network of water streams, ponds and lakes, are favourable for sustaining the rich biodiversity. The range of temperature from 43 to 44 degrees in summer and minus two degrees in winter and an annual rainfall of around 1,400 mm bring a wide range of biodiversity to this park.

The authorities deserve a lot of kudos for managing the park so well. They have created adequate infrastructural and logistic facilities like housing, schooling for their children and an innovative medical scheme along with other excellent workers’ welfare measures like soft loans. The souvenir shops and canteens are run by the workers’ society and the profit is shared as bonus annually. The turnover last year was Rs 95 lakh and this year so far it is around Rs 66 lakh despite the lockdown that saw a reduced footfall. These innovative steps are the cornerstone of the park’s management policy.

The scientific management of biodiversity is focussed on interdependence of species and non-living components. The park is known for some innovative measurers like focussing on other species than the tiger. The conservation programme of the barasingha, a threatened species, is now doing very well and animals are getting translocated to other wildlife reserves. The park management had made a few novel efforts like a “School for Rewilding Orphaned Tiger Cubs” in which they are rescued, reared, trained and released back in the wild.  A “Kanha Vikas Nidhi” had been created to support the infrastructure and livelihoods of the 27 villages that were shifted from the core area.  

The State Eco-Development Board is also active in the wildlife reserves in these activities and creating a win-win situation for both the people and wildlife. However, while interacting with the staff, one thing became clear. The State Government must look into the genuine grievances of the Range Officers and other field staff on their salary structures which need to be brought at par with police and forest staff of other States. The least the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government must do is to accede to their demands as it is their efforts that are making the forest rich in flora and fauna. This, in turn, is conserving water and helping agriculture in the area. Above all, they have made Madhya Pradesh a tiger State of India and resulted in boosting its economy through bio-tourism.   

(The writer is a former civil servant)