(PTI): The tiger population in the centrally-sponsored Valmiki Tiger Project (VTP) in Bihar has declined from 56 in 2002 to 33 in 2005 as conservation and protection measures initiated by the state Forest and Environment department remained by and large ineffective, according to CAG report.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report for the year ended March 31, 2006 observed that the Valmiki Tiger Project (VTP) in West Champaran district on the Indo-Nepal border was implemented in Bihar to ensure a reasonable population of tigers.
"The conservation and protection measures initiated by the state Environment and Forest department in the reserve, however, remained by and large ineffective due to deficiencies in planning, inadequate release of funds and non-observance of the scheme guidelines," it pointed out.
There was no management plan for four years from 2000-01 to 2003-04 and the management plan for 2004-14 was under revision to incorporate the suggeston of project directorate as of June 2006, it said.
The report said the department also did not take an action to get the encroached land in 2,152 hectares vacated from the Nepalese since 1988.
The estimaton was not done annually and the tiger population in VTP in 2002 was 56 which declined to 33 in 2005.
Male and female ratio in 2002 was 2:1 which reversed in 2005 to 1:2 indicating the unreliability of data of tiger population in the reserve, the CAG in its report observed saying the reporting mechanism of tiger sighting (fortnightly report) was "non-existent".
CAG report pointed out that out of 33 pugmark sightings in 2005, 80 per cent were located in buffer zone and the habitat areas outside the tiger reserve.
As per estimation of 2002, number of male, female and cubs were 35, 17 and 4 respectively where as in 2005 the respective estimation figures were 10, 22 and 01.
The ratio of male and female in 2002 was 2:1 which reversed in 2005 to 1:2.
The wide variation in the ratio within a short period of three years is indicative of unreliability of the data on tiger population in this reserve, it said.
Further, this was noticed that regular tiger sighting (fortnightly reports) was non-existent, offence books, seizure reports, observation of key wild species (predator and prey) were not maintained at the level of sub-beat guards, beat guards and Range officers.
Consequently, monthly reports regarding field observation of tigers and other species as well as tiger mortality were not submitted by Range officers to Divsional Forest Officers, Field Directors, it said.
VTP admitted in February 2006 that these records were not maintained due to lack of regular operations, the CAG revealed in its report.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report for the year ended March 31, 2006 observed that the Valmiki Tiger Project (VTP) in West Champaran district on the Indo-Nepal border was implemented in Bihar to ensure a reasonable population of tigers.
"The conservation and protection measures initiated by the state Environment and Forest department in the reserve, however, remained by and large ineffective due to deficiencies in planning, inadequate release of funds and non-observance of the scheme guidelines," it pointed out.
There was no management plan for four years from 2000-01 to 2003-04 and the management plan for 2004-14 was under revision to incorporate the suggeston of project directorate as of June 2006, it said.
The report said the department also did not take an action to get the encroached land in 2,152 hectares vacated from the Nepalese since 1988.
The estimaton was not done annually and the tiger population in VTP in 2002 was 56 which declined to 33 in 2005.
Male and female ratio in 2002 was 2:1 which reversed in 2005 to 1:2 indicating the unreliability of data of tiger population in the reserve, the CAG in its report observed saying the reporting mechanism of tiger sighting (fortnightly report) was "non-existent".
CAG report pointed out that out of 33 pugmark sightings in 2005, 80 per cent were located in buffer zone and the habitat areas outside the tiger reserve.
As per estimation of 2002, number of male, female and cubs were 35, 17 and 4 respectively where as in 2005 the respective estimation figures were 10, 22 and 01.
The ratio of male and female in 2002 was 2:1 which reversed in 2005 to 1:2.
The wide variation in the ratio within a short period of three years is indicative of unreliability of the data on tiger population in this reserve, it said.
Further, this was noticed that regular tiger sighting (fortnightly reports) was non-existent, offence books, seizure reports, observation of key wild species (predator and prey) were not maintained at the level of sub-beat guards, beat guards and Range officers.
Consequently, monthly reports regarding field observation of tigers and other species as well as tiger mortality were not submitted by Range officers to Divsional Forest Officers, Field Directors, it said.
VTP admitted in February 2006 that these records were not maintained due to lack of regular operations, the CAG revealed in its report.
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