Katerniaghat echoed in Rajya Sabha

Here is a good news for all who love a place called Katerniaghat. It is also a good news for all who believe that hard work speaks louder than words and for them also who wish that such lesser known marvels must get their recognition before getting wiped out from the wildlife scene.

The day before yesterday there were variety of news stories in Indian dailies like 'depleting tiger population', 're-introduction of Cheetah or 'Say cheese-Cheetah is being imported' and so on and so forth. Actually the hon. MOS, MoEF, Mr Jairam Ramesh had remarkably replied the queries of the hon Members of Parliament during calling attention motion in Rajya Sabha on 07.07.09. The motion was called by hon Member of Parliament Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy on depleting tiger population in the country.

Yesterday one of my friend informed me that during the motion some hon member took the name of Katerniaghat for its revival and good tiger population in the area. And it was unbelievably true. The hon Member of Parliament and renowned media personality Mr Chandan Mitra (Editor The Pioneer, New Delhi) mentioned the success story of restoration of Katerniaghat while narrating the plight of tiger reserves of our country.

The Katerniaght finally figured out as one of important tiger areas. We; out team worked hard for almost four years to revitalize the area. It was our team work that payed finally and the tiger population got revamped.

It is very interesting to share that it took me almost one year to sight a tiger in Katerniaghat in 2005, staff took another year to sight tigers in their beats and ranges and visitors could locate tigers only third year onwards in the sanctuary. Our surveillance technique to monitor tigers and leopards on day to day basis worked remarkably well. It got institutionalised in the division afterward. It helped in strategising protection measures in the area. The breeding of tigers started from the first year itself after getting stress free habitat and subsequently every year3-4 tigers bred successfully.

I could take a photograph in which three tigers (mother and two sub adult cubs) were walking on bandha. That was probably the first ever photograph of tiger family in Katerniaghat. The poaching was controlled by mainly arresting 16 Bawarias including queenpin Dilipo and dreaded Dariya and not allowing them to come out from jail till conviction. Fighting against all odds we worked like bhoot, day and night and we could see jungle smiling, swinging and dancing.

Mr Chandan Mitra said"good example of a complete regeneration is a sanctuary called Kathaniya Ghat in UP, where at one stage it had been devastated by the maoists from Nepal but today, it has been regenerated and the tiger population has returned".

It is a great compliments for us. I remember it is said that beauty is in the eyes of beholder. No doubt such compliment is a reward for our team who worked day and night to fight against all odds (including 3 big dharnas, many FIRs, complaints, attacks and rumors). My all team members who did remarkable job during that time and were instrumental in arresting around 250 accused in almost 4 years time are here with me to share this compliments. I know how much time, energy and labour it takes to take an accused on judicial remand when the competent court is 70-100 Km away from the remote jungle. And then opposing bail, most of the time in session court also and finally filing complaints and fighting to get them convicted. It is tough job for the forest staff who has lot many other works to do. I remember one of the mafia after 'Operation Trishul' filed 19 writ petition in high court to get back the seized timber (11 trucks of teak and khair wood).

The successful natural breeding of Gharials (2005 to 2008), revival of swamp deer, increase in prey base were other symptoms of healing. There are other such remarks given by like AJT John Singh, PK Sen, Dr Asad Rahmani, Rom Whittaker, Ravi Singh, Bivash Pandav, Raja CKP Singh, Neeraj Srivastava, Rupak De, and other wildlife experts who had seen Katerniaghat earlier and can simply visualise and compare the changes in their subsequent visits. Thanks to all who encouraged us for our good works. There was always great support from our PCCFs and CWLWs. Some of our media friend were generous enough to give us lots of space from local to national level.

I left Katerniaghat on 17th July 2008 and has yet to complete one year in Delhi on deputation to GoI, but still feel a strong bondage with that area, which is unique in its nature. I say Katerniaghat is like Banaras, it takes time to understand it.

Recently one of my friend Sanjay Kumar could get photograph of 3 tigers together in Katerniaghat range. Tigers breeding is on and this year some of the females have given birth to cubs. Now they are coming out with them.

The problem which is cropping up there is of 'pressure' in two of the buffer ranges and two adjoining ranges of the sanctuary. The Katerniaghat and Nishangada range has still great potential to accommodate increasing tiger population.

The challenge is to keep the area healthier and better, because it takes too much time to revive an area, but when it start sliding down it takes no time to ruin the whole castle. There are many examples of it.

I wish all the best for Katerniaghat and for my team who worked there with me for those four years.