Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Conservationists flag forest dept move to transfer frontline staff

By SIVASISH THAKUR

GUWAHATI, Oct 26 - At a time when shortage of frontline staff has been a perennial bane impeding security to the State�s protected forests, i.e., national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, an official order from the State forest headquarters for transfer and posting of non-gazetted staff who have completed three years of service at their present place of posting could further weaken the existing protection mechanism.

According to conservationists, the official order (dated October 9, 2020) � taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister � can trigger a spurt in transfers of frontline staff, and given the rigours of frontline patrolling in wildlife habitats, newcomers would not be in a position to live up to the mounting security challenges in a new area.

�Wildlife habitats differ across the State and it takes some time to get accustomed to a new area, understand the surroundings and assess challenges � especially with regard to the modus operandi of poachers, illegal loggers and other forest criminals who operate with a lot of dexterity. A sudden change in guard could jeopardize the security of a protected forest,� a conservationist said.

He added that forests facing serious poaching threat such as Kaziranga, Manas, Orang, Pobitora, Dehing-Patkai, etc., could witness a spurt in poaching and illegal logging in the event of a large-scale change in their manpower.

�Not just these rhino-bearing areas, any forest would face greater risk if a large segment of their sentinels is replaced suddenly,� he said.

�All our forests are vulnerable to different criminal activities highly detrimental to their interests. Newcomers take time to get acclimatized with a different clime and criminals would naturally take advantage of such a situation,� he said.

A forest source said that many protected areas were struggling with frontline manpower crunch, effectively negating their security. �There would be some 25 per cent overall manpower shortage in these prime wildlife habitats. Add to it the fact that many frontline staff are aged and infirm and not in a position to take on the rigours of jungle patrolling, and it is a disturbing situation,� he added.

The absence of incentives has been another demotivating factor for frontline staff who endure prolonged hardship in harsh jungle conditions. Despite there being several recommendations to offer them more benefits, the situation has not changed over the years.

�The frontline forest staff have been rendering their services under severe pressure in hazardous conditions, including threat from poachers and other forest criminals besides wild animals. There have been many accidental injuries to such sentinels and they should be provided with a special hazardous allowance and incentives,� a senior forest official said.

Unfortunately, the forest department has been getting top-heavy all these years even as the frontline personnel continue to languish for want of even the basic facilities in many forests, including protected areas.

A guard named Liladhar Sarmah was badly mauled by a sloth bear in the Agaratoli range under Kaziranga National Park in December last year while on patrol duty.

�There are many such instances. The condition of the casual workers engaged in frontline duty is even worse as they are made to slog in difficult conditions with no benefit worth the name except a negligible salary structure,� the official said.

He, however, added that the forest department would be recruiting 1,081 forest personnel, including frontline guards and foresters. �The department has a very large vacancy for these posts. The process for the latest recruitment drive has already started,� he added.

Next Story