Parliament for Tigers

Following the tiger trail, Hardnews talks to four MPs on what it takes to save the big cat

Talk of tigers and KC Singh Baba, with child-like gusto, starts narrating his encounters with the animal and how he fell in love with the great predator the first time he saw it. An MP from Nainital, Uttarakhand, some areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) fall in his constituency and this has given Baba, a nature lover, more than one reason to preserve the flora and fauna of the CTR. On several occasions, he has voiced his opinion on how to save the tiger and its habitat. Hardnews caught up with Baba to discuss various facets of tiger conservation

What are your views on the tiger conservation plans in India?
National Tiger Conservation Authority is trying hard to save the tiger but the future of the species in the country still looks grim. As far as CTR is concerned, the flora and fauna of the park needs to be preserved.
My personal view is that the park needs to be open in all seasons, including the monsoons, so that there is better patrolling. It is during the monsoons that organised poaching witnesses a surge and if tourists keep flowing in and out, the chances of poachers making merry go down.

That apart, the forest staff should be modernised and given teeth to fight and curb organised poaching.

Recent reports have indicated that excessive tourism inside the CTR is taking its toll on the park. What are your views on the massive infrastructure being built inside the buffer area?
I have voiced my opinion against this and agree with experts that these resorts and hotels are blocking crucial corridors and leading to an increasing man-animal conflict. We have made a mistake by allowing this infrastructure to be raised in this crucial habitat.
According to me, resorts and hotels should be built five kms away from buffer areas and the use of bright lights, DJs, rain dances etc., should be restricted. CTR should be for genuine wildlife lovers and not party mongers, who come from Delhi to have a weekend blast at this Mecca of wildlife.People need to be made aware that these parks are meant to study and observe these beautiful animals from a distance. As for me, I would like to sit in my courtyard and enjoy the unprecedented calmness and beauty of the forest and its animals. 

What is your opinion about the working of the forest department and what needs to be done?
One flaw that I have noticed is that people with no experience of forests are given the task to save them. Someone with credible experience in wildlife should be handed over the task to save the flora and fauna, and the same should apply for directors. For example, injured animals are handed over to forest department but they don't have the potential and workforce to deal with it, which eventually leads to animal deaths.For such issues, participation of civil society and genuine animal lovers is crucial, but for that to happen, government and other concerned authorities should acknowledge it. 

Additionally, there should be a blanket ban on giving plantation contracts to private parties, who also get involved in timber poaching. 

A spate of revenge killings by villagers is also taking its toll on the tigers of Corbett. How can this be avoided?