Armed guards for TS tiger reserves

The two tiger reserves of Telangana — Kawal and Amrabad — have been sanctioned Special Tiger Protection Forces by the Centre.

The tiger reserves will get 216 armed guards, who will be specially trained by the state’s police department or by the Central Reserve Police Force personnel. Those who clear the physical tests will be recruited and they will serve in the force till the age of 40.

These special forces will operate under the authority of the field director of the tiger reserves. Under the field director’s command, the hierarchy will include an assistant conservator of forests, under whom there will be three platoons of STPF guards headed by forest range officers. Each platoon will have 36 STPF personnel, of whom 27 will be guards and nine will be watchers.

While funding will be provided by the Centre for acquiring arms and maintenance of the special force, the state government will have to bear the costs of recruitment and provision of facilities to the guards.

The special force is expected to be deployed by this year end. The special force will be armed with self-load- TIGER COUNT 15

ADULT TIGERS IN AMRABAD TIGER RESERVE

KAWAL TIGER RESERVE:

FIVE TIGERS SIGHTED IN SURROUNDING RESERVE FOREST AREA ARMED GUARDS NOW FIELD STAFF IN TIGER RESERVES, INCLUDING GUARDS, OFFICERS ETC. AMRABAD 100 KAWAL 130 WITH THE CENTRE’S GRANT, RESERVES WILL NOW GET: 216 ARMED GUARDS ing rifles (SLR), carbines and pistols. The arms will be mostly imported from Germany or Russia.

While armed poachers are a danger, another threat the STPF might face is that of Naxalites. The forest department staff said there are reports of Naxalite activity in the TS forests.