Article i wrote for sanctuary asia (Aug issue 2008)
ACHANAKMAR TIGER RESERVE
It was one of the hottest and most humid days of May and the sun had almost set. I was driving through a very dense patch of forest where the daylight visibility is not more than fifteen feet. On a bend I suddenly saw an animal crouching and looking towards me from a distance of not more than ten meters. As the daylight had faded long ago it was very difficult to identify the object, but going by the size I assumed that it was a tiger. I got a little nearer and as soon as I flashed my lights on the animal it vanished into the thickets in leaps and bounds. I could see clearly the black spots of the giant leopard that it was. I had seen quite a few leopards in the different national parks in our country but it was undoubtedly one of the biggest amongst them. This robust population of leopard not only indicates its presence but also enriches the sanctuary habitat. I was sure once again that Achanakmar was in the hands of its rightful owners.
Situated merely sixty kilometers from Bilaspur is the Achanakmar tiger reserve. Spread over a vast area of 914 Sq Km, all of the forest is breeding with different species of animals and the ultimate in scenic beauty. The density of the forest is such that in some places during broad daylight visibility can be reduced up to only fifteen feet. The forest of the park is mainly tropical moist deciduous and tropical dry deciduous type. Rich in flora and fauna there are mainly Sal, Bija, Saja, Haldu, Teak, Tinsa, Dhawara, Lendia, Khamar and bamboo trees. Other than the mainstream jungle there are six hundred species of medicinal plants. All of these merge into a thick canopy creating heaven for wildlife. The lifeline of this sanctuary is the pristine and meandering Maniyari River, the only river which flows right through the heart of this park forming the perfect incubator for extraordinary avian diversity.
The park is also a part of Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve. The park is enriched with different species of game including Tiger, Leopard, Bison, Flying squirrel, Malabar squirrel, Chinkara, Wild dog, Hyena, Sambhar, Cheetal and over hundred and fifty species of birds. I will give you an idea of the stock that this park provides in a single trek. One night I was out patrolling the forest with the dynamic and very able park superintendent Mr. B P Singh. We started at about 11 pm and in the next four hours we saw three leopards, a group of eighty bison, three different species of Owl, forest hare, a group of twenty wild dogs and hundred of Cheetals. We had covered most of the tiger territories known to us but as a few days earlier, a sighting of tigress with two cubs was reported to us in the Diyabar beat, we decided to check the area before calling it a night. Just before you reach the Diyabar water body there is a small stream flowing from Katami to Diyabar and while we were crossing it suddenly we heard the cries of two very young tiger cubs nearby. We waited there for quite a long time expecting them to come out into the open. They called at regular intervals but ultimately we were unable to sight them. By the calling pattern it was clear that the mother had left them to secure a kill and that she would return after a definite period. After waiting for a while we decided to leave them alone peacefully and try to locate them sometime again. As we were returning both of us were overjoyed because we knew that the future of the park was safer and we had confirmed that the tigress was in the process of raising two of her cubs to adulthood. The last tiger census reports eighteen to twenty four tigers which excludes cubs below the age of fourteen months. We had seen pugmarks of tigresses with cubs below one years of age, at four different parts of the park and we were sure that there must be at least ten cubs through out the park. This was indeed a vindication of a successful tiger breeding.
In Achanakmar the biggest problem that a tourist faces is the lack of a good sighting. Due to the density of the forest it is impossible to spot an animal even if it is a few feet away from you. The topography of the park is basically hilly and the terrain is such that to travel a distance of three kilometers it takes almost half an hour.
Another major threat that the park is facing is the villages situated amidst the park. The local people situated in and around the sanctuary are mostly those belonging to the Gond and Baiga tribes. There are twenty two villages situated inside the park and most of them are even inside the core area, because of which it is impossible to stop human infiltration inside the park. The biggest village Katami consist of more than a hundred households. Due to the influx of local villagers the animal often get disturbed and stay away. The livestock in all the villages in the park are easy targets for predators. Every week the administration has to placate the villagers and compensate their losses and as the death of the livestock is rising so is the fury of the local inhabitants. Eight of the twenty two villages have been proposed to be shifted and the proposal has also been sanctioned by the FAC ‘ Forest Advisory Committee ’ but it is still pending before the Central Empowered Committee. The local inhabitants have also agreed to move if they are given better facilities. As soon as the villages are relocated, the barren lands can be converted into perfect grasslands inviting wildlife and hence providing the best place for the tourists and the photographers to stalk animals. However the battle to save our wildlife and its habitat is far from easy. The plans of rehabilitating and relocating the tribes are still lying in the official files.
All of these villages established in the different part of the sanctuary pose a serious threat to the tiger habitat. Central government has declared the park as a tiger reserve but the state government is yet to give a notification to the forest administration. Another major problem that the park is facing is the Bilaspur amarkantak national highway that runs from Bilaspur to Jabalpur via Achankmar dividing the park into two halves. The forest administration has prohibited the entry of heavy vehicles from sunset to sunrise but still Cheetals Jackals and even hyenas lying dead on the roads are common sight. It has been proposed to make an alternate road but as usual the proposals are engraving their right places in the government files.
Even after so many threats the forest administration is doing its level best to maintain the park and attract tourist. More than five watch towers have been made in the different parts of the forest. One of them is Tangli Pathar situated in the Lamni range at a height of 1039 meters above the sea level. From this point there is a thrilling view of almost the whole Achanakmar forest. In the month of March when the fall starts , the park looks from this point like a painters dream. The fresh air and the mesmerizing view create a spell which would last on you throughout your life. Not only discovering but building the tower was one of the most arduous jobs for the CCF Mr. kaushlendra Singh but because of the hard work and total dedication of the forest officials like him the park is flourishing amidst so many problems. Elevating the magnificent beauty of this landscape are the centuries old forest guest house build by the British inside the park. Achanakmar, Lamni Chaparwa and Surhi, all of them are very well maintained and are supplied with all basic amenities but lack of private hotels and vehicles sometimes create immense pressure on the forest department. More than twenty water bodies have been made so to concentrate wildlife into a secluded spot. A large number of animals can be found on these water bodies quenching their thirst.
Imagine entering the park when the sun is about to meet the horizon, expecting to see the cheetal drinking water on the serene banks of the Maniyari river, the monkeys and sambhars giving their alarm call on seeing a tiger joining the party, the birds returning to their nests to feed their new born and while you are about to inhale the moist cool breeze of the dusk…. What you see is the giant Sal, Haldu and Beeja trees burning into hot red flames and the whole jungle burning into ashes where it its difficult to breathe due to the smoke and with it numerous animals lying dead here and there. During summer this is a common sight in the achanakmar jungle. The cattle gazers of the near by villages burn the jungle down so that they get good manure for their cattle in the coming season. I have seen the forest fire workers trying to counter the flames through out the night but fire of this scale settles down only when it has had its own quota . To save the habitat and the biodiversity of this beautiful forest , rehabilitation of the villages is a must.
During the years that I have explored the vastness of Achanakmar . Being a native of chhattisgarh I have been intimately connected with the land and the culture is practically ingrained into my blood. I have roamed through out the jungle enjoying the true magic of nature and I have never seen such a beautiful lush green forest containing such a vivid variety of wildlife. It ultimately depends on us whether we are going to play our part for the safeguarding of the prosperity that the forest deserves or if we will sit tight on our sofas and see the country loosing its most precious ornament “ its jungles and wildlife”