Pench Tiger Reserve
Salient findings
The major threat factors hampering the conservation of the PA values of Pench Tiger Reserve are well perceived by the PA management. The recently completed Management Plan has provided major inputs to identification of activities to be promoted under habitat improvement and management under IEP. Most of the activities under this initiative are aimed to reduce the dependence of inhabitants of peripheral and fringe villages for fuelwood, fodder and fish, enhance soil and water conservation measures to protect the catchment area of the Totladoh Reservoir, create artificial water sources and control invasion by weeds. The village ecodevelopment activities based on adequate microplanning were largely aimed at reducing dependence of local communities on PA for fuelwood and fodder resources.
The ecodevelopment objectives were in conformity with PA objectives and the proposed activities were largely complementary to PA management activities. The near absence of villages in this PA was a special feature of this site that provided a good scheme of things to implement the project. The focus of the task of arresting degradational trends was therefore more concentrated on peripheral areas and the management interventions were more focused within PA. The IEP should have had greater chance of success here. In reality, the project was short of optimum benefits. The project reflects some bias towards reduction of impacts of land holding and livestock owning communities and would therefore defeat the overall aim of reducing all potential threats. The impacts of fuelwood and fishing in the reservoir were required to be tackled more effectively. The continued rights of fishing in the reservoir would affect future sustainability significantly. The delayed start and short period available for the project implementation would also constrain the flow of benefits of providing alternate energy resources to a still larger part of the community.
Last Updated: October 8, 2015
