Sunderbans: Lockdown triggers rise in man-tiger conflict
Kolkata: Sunderbans, since April 2020—during mainly the lockdown period—has reportedly witnessed about 13 human deaths due to tiger attacks.
The forest officials believe that more humans have fallen prey to the big cats as there have been rise in attempts to venture deep into the forest for catching fishes or for collection of honey.
"Many migrant labourers working in different parts of the country have returned to their respective addresses in the hamlets of Sunderbans amidst the pandemic and have been left with little alternative but to venture in the prohibited area of the forest for making their both ends meet. Some of them have been victims of tiger attack," said a senior official of the Forest department.
Among the 13 deaths that have occurred till date, 10 persons had no legal permission to go for fishing and had illegally ventured in the creeks inside forests. Only three fishermen had boat license and fishing permission. The family members of those victims who have the legal permit for fishing are entitled to get compensation from the state government .
In 2019-20 there were 11 deaths in tiger attack, as per database of the Forest department though the unofficial death count would go up over 20. The Forest department for the last few years has been constantly taking steps to mitigate tiger man conflict. Recently it has started providing portable LPG cylinders to the license holding and law abiding fishermen.
"In collaboration with SHER we have arranged 100 such cylinders. The fishermen can carry them for cooking while they go in the buffer area for fishing. This will enable them to cook inside their boat without feeling the necessity to get down forest land for collection of firewood for cooking and this will reduce conflicts," said the official. 25 such cylinders have already been distributed and the total beneficiaries are 500. Considering the fact that a number of deaths occur due to tiger attacks as the village folks venture into the forest for honey collection, the South 24-Parganas Forest division has formed four cooperatives and have developed sustainable apiary in forest camps for safe extraction of honey. The other initiatives include promotion of crab culture and pisciculture inside the villages to dissuade people from venturing deep.
"It will take some more time to reap fruits from the various initiatives that we have undertaken to prevent human deaths due to tiger attack," the official maintained.
