Pilibhit: Despite a ban on fishing activities inside Pilibhit tiger reserve (PTR), there are more than six sites where the permission to carry out fishing in the core area of PTR’s Barahi forest range has been granted allegedly by forest officials after accepting bribes to the tunes of Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakh per site.During a visit to Barahi forest range, TOI, too, found fishing nets spread across Sutia water channel.Confirming the on-going illegal activity in Barahi, PTR field director H Rajamohan told TOI: “I have deployed trustworthy forest staff to collect all information about the illegal activity. Based on their report, the department will take legal action against the erring officials as well as wildlife criminals.”As the Barahi range is endowed with herbs and fish of different varieties in abundance, and with their demand in the market shooting through the roof, big fish lured by the prospect of making big money allured officials into accepting bribe and get illegal right to carry out fishing in the banned area, said villagers living in PTR’s vicinity.They said at present, illegal fishing was being carried out in Faizullaganj and Majhara forest beats and the core forest area close to Maini Guladia village.According to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) norms for tiger reserves, no one can enter the core forest area without prior permission of a competent forest authority. NTCA rules also prohibit collection of forest produce by anyone, including departmental staff.Divulging information to TOI, villagers said, “It’s better to convey the matter of illegal fishing to mediapersons than to departmental officials. Illegal fishing is being carried out at massive level at more than half a dozen sites in the restricted Barahi forest range. The permission of fishing at each site was granted by forest officials for Rs 2 to Rs 2.5 lakh for a year.” They claimed that the offenders use large trawl nets for fishing.Notably, in February-March, more than 300 labourers had collected khus roots at massive level for Kannauj-based scent manufacturers and had also set up more than three dozen thatched huts in the Barahi range. After TOI reported the matter, the then principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) SK Upadhyay ordered an inquiry.Questioning PTR authorities’ claim of “intensified field patrolling and intensive monitoring”, secretary of wildlife biodiversity conservation society Kaleem Athar, also a volunteer of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), said, “If such is their commitment, then why illegal activities are often reported, especially during the current month which is being observed as Tiger Safety Month (December 1-31).” “All these official claims are hollow and confined only to the files. Nothing is happening on ground zero,” Athar rued.After the Pilibhit forest area was included under the Tarai Arc Landscape (TAL) project in 2000, under an ambitious joint programme of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Nepal, and WWF, India, the forest department had been entrusted with the responsibility to strive for the economic growth of local stake holders living in proximity to forest areas — covering 49,500 square kilometers from Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal to Rajaji National Park in India — and convert them as “jungle friends” to seek their cooperation in getting information about wildlife crimes.But the desired results could never be achieved.

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