Former forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar urged the state government to denotify the Kanhalgaon Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandrapur. He said, "There are apprehensions that the creation of another wildlife sanctuary may once again expose local residents to displacement." The sanctuary, home to 22 tigers, sits within a vital tiger corridor.
MUMBAI: Former forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has an unusual request for the state government. The BJP MLA from Ballarshah in Chandrapur district, Mungantiwar has urged the chief minister to denotify the Kanhalgaon Wildlife Sanctuary, which was given sanctuary status in 2020.
The sanctuary, which covers 31,000 hectares in Chandrapur, is not only an eco-sensitive landscape; it lies within a tiger corridor that connects the Tadoba-Andhari reserve and other tiger habitats. According to government data, it is home to 22 tigers.
Mungantiwar claims a sanctuary would potentially intensify the human-animal conflict in the region. Additionally, it could displace forest-dwellers, whose lives and livelihoods would be disrupted, he argues. However, wildlife conservationists point out that a protected area limits permissions for large projects in the area, linking it to the request to denotify the sanctuary.
The MLA, who raised the issue with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis last week, said, "Families of people killed inside the core zone of the Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve do not receive any financial compensation. In Chandrapur, where nearly 48% of the area is forested, there have been 65 deaths in the last year due to animal attacks."
In a letter to Fadnavis, Mungantiwar claimed the sanctuary would impact the residents of 47 villages. 'Residents of villages rehabilitated in the vicinity of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve still face numerous challenges. There are apprehensions that the creation of another wildlife sanctuary may once again expose local residents to displacement, employment-related difficulties and various restrictions."
He claimed that all gram panchayats in the area have passed a resolution urging the government to denotify the sanctuary.
During his tenure as forest minister, Mungantiwar had put the proposal concerning the Kanhalgaon Wildlife Sanctuary on hold. The former forest minister, who underlines that he was not opposed to wildlife conservation, had supported the Asola Mendha water supply project which resulted in thousands of trees being axed as it would bring additional water to Chandrapur. He has also sought forest land for the Chandrapur airport.
Kishor Rithe of the Bombay Natural History Society said, "I am shocked to learn that a former forest minister is asking for a sanctuary to be denotified. Kanhalgaon is in his home district and he should in fact seek more protection for the forest."
Rithe said that to denotify a sanctuary, the legislature would have to pass the proposal. "Is it possible to pass such a proposal when environmentalists like the Thackerays are around,' he asked.
Former wildlife warden Bandu Dhotre from Chandrapur said, "A remote taluka like Gondpipri in Chandrapur district has long been awaiting development. A wildlife sanctuary is a form of 'green industry'. Tourism and conservation activities will create sustainable employment opportunities for local residents." He added that maintaining the sanctuary status would make it difficult to obtain clearances for environmentally harmful projects in the surrounding area.