No plan to check big cat attacks near PTR

BAREILLY :Foresters have no concrete plan to prevent feline attacks in areas near the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, though the big cats have claimed four lives this month.

The idea to build an electric fence around the reserve (to prevent the movement of tigers outside and humans inside the forest) has hit a snag, as state forest minister Dara Singh Chauhan does not subscribe to it.

The contingency plan to fence off a 50 kilometre stretch in view of the recent attacks is in the doldrums due to lack of funds.

“Building an electric fence around the boundary of the entire forest is not possible. It would be a waste of resources. The forest officials must come up with another more feasible plan,” Chauhan told HT on phone.

The minister’s remark has logic, considering the 670 km stretch of the horse shoe shaped reserve boundary. At various places, the boundary of the reserve has been encroached by locals who will make the task of marking the boundary more difficult.

Another major hurdle in the project is opposition from women and child welfare minister and BJP MP from Pilibhit Maneka Gandhi.

Maneka, who is a devout animal lover, believes that the fencing will turn the reserve into a zoo. So she openly opposed the idea during a meeting with forest officials.

But the recent attacks, which led to death of seven people since June, forced the forest staff to propose fencing off a 50 km stretch of the forest as a last minute emergency plan.

The fencing was to be done in August. Local Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs and minister Maneka Gandhi gave some money from their official funds but the fence construction is yet to begin.

“They have only provided ₹35 lakh which is not even half of the money required to build the fence in the area. How can we start a project without sufficient funds,” lamented a senior forest official.

“We are blamed for tiger attacks in the area but nobody is ready to help us solve the problem,” he added.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the district on Wednesday to discuss the issue of tiger attacks but no conclusion was reached.

The meeting ended with customary proposals like building more toilets and providing cooking gas to villagers.