By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
RAMNAGAR, 20 Dec: Ahead of the Christmas, and the new year eve and New Year celebrations, the Corbett Tiger Reserve administration has placed the entire park area on a high alert. It may be recalled that at this time of the year, there remains a potential threat to wildlife during the festive period. In view of the heightened risk to wildlife, the Forest Department has cancelled the leave of all the forest personnel and strengthened security arrangements across the reserve. Special vigil is being maintained along the southern boundary of Corbett Park, which shares its border with Uttar Pradesh, with the help of e-surveillance systems, drone cameras and other modern technical equipment.
The decision to impose a high alert before the New Year stems from the increased possibility of poachers and wildlife smugglers attempting to infiltrate sensitive zones of the reserve during this period. The forest officials have expressed concern that anti-social elements may take advantage of the festive atmosphere and increased movement in and around the forest areas. As a precautionary measure, the park administration has issued a red alert, even though no specific intelligence inputs have been received so far.
To ensure the safety of wildlife, dozens of the patrolling teams have been deployed across the vast forest area of Corbett. Continuous monitoring is also being carried out with the assistance of trained elephants and dog squads. Surveillance has been intensified in vulnerable pockets where the entry of criminals and forest smugglers is suspected, while ambush patrolling is being conducted at sensitive locations to intercept any suspicious activity in a timely manner.
With a large number of tourists expected to visit Corbett during the New Year period, the administration is also paying close attention to their safety and convenience. Efforts are being made to ensure that the influx of visitors does not lead to any inconvenience to tourists or result in harm to wildlife due to human interference.
Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve Saket Badola today stated that the tourist movement increases significantly during 25 December, 31 December and the New Year and that the likelihood of illegal activities also rises during this time. He said this had necessitated the high alert across the reserve. Badola has issued clear instructions that patrolling must remain continuous and that leave for staff will be granted only in exceptional circumstances with prior approval from senior authorities. He added that the Corbett administration would make no compromise on the safety of the forest and its wildlife, and that every activity would be kept under strict watch during the festive season.
