NEW DELHI: Efforts are underway to relocate three more villages from the core area of Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) in the erstwhile Adilabad district of Telangana as part of ‘Project Tiger.’ This initiative aims to make the core area inviolate and foster a viable tiger population.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) identified 10 to 12 villages within Kawal Tiger Reserve’s core area that cause significant disturbances and need relocation. According to NTCA, “Relocating the villages could solve meadow and fodder issues while also making the area inviolate.” Two villages that have 94 families have already been relocated to a newly established rehabilitation colony spanning approximately 13 acres. Currently, efforts are underway to relocate an additional three villages.
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In recent months, the villages of Maisampet and Rampur were relocated to Kothpadepally in Kaddam Mandal where a rehabilitation colony with all necessary facilities has been established. The relocated families received financial assistance, residential sites, and agricultural land from the government. Authorities have now identified Alinagar, Dongapalli, and Mallial for relocation, with villagers expressing their readiness to move.
State Minister for Forests, Environment, and Endowments, Konda Surekha recently announced in the Legislative Council that Kawal Tiger Reserve has been designated a Conservation Reserve Forest. She elaborated on steps taken to address issues affecting local wildlife and forest-dependent communities. The efforts reflect the state’s commitment to protecting wildlife while prioritizing the well-being of forest-dependent communities.
Kawal Tiger Reserve, located in the northeastern part of Telangana in the Old Adilabad district, is bordered by the Godavari River and the Maharashtra state line. The Government of India declared Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary a Tiger Reserve in 2012. Covering a total area of 15.44 sq. km, with a core area of 893 sq. km, KTR extends into the districts of Nirmal, Mancherial, Adilabad, and KB Asifabad.
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Kawal Tiger Reserve is located at the southernmost tip of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape, sharing connections with the Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra) and Indravati (Chhattisgarh) tiger reserves. This makes the habitat significant for tiger conservation. It is also a major catchment of the Godavari River and local rivulets like Peddavagu and Kadam.
NTCA has identified several threats to the reserve which include sand mining, poaching, destruction of teak forests, migratory cattle, vehicular disturbances, and lack of water and fodder. Political leaders, staff, and villages have played a significant role in controlling these threats, but challenges remain. To mitigate these issues, the NTCA has established base camps and deployed strike forces, and anti-poaching squads.
“All vehicular traffic is prohibited from 9 PM to 6 AM on roads passing through the tiger reserve. Heavy vehicles of certain categories are prohibited at all times on the roads passing through Kawal Tiger Reserve. Fire is another managerial issue, as the entire area is fire-prone and burns almost twice in the season,” said NTCA.
