Anti-poaching watchers say staff numbers are down by about 50%
“Our monthly target to cover is 2,000 hectares but in several ranges, the beat size exceeds this limit,” says the state APW president. “Teams walk an average of 15km a day.” There are days anti-poaching watcher (APW) S Angakumar walks through more than 15km of forest, checking for snares and traps, environmental hazards and signs of smuggling.
“We only have 75 APWs now. We used to have 160 in 2023. There is a vacancy of 15% statewide. If the area assigned to each patrol team be reduced by 1,000 hectares, APWs would be able to revisit locations more frequently,” says Angakumar. Forest officials say Coimbatore forest division covers about 69,700 hectares and is divided into seven territorial ranges. “The sanctioned strength of APWs is 256. “About 100 vacancies in forest guard and watcher categories have been filled. They cover 2,000 hectares a month, conducting reviews every 14 days to identify areas needing increased patrolling.
Because of shortage of people, coimbatore’s APWs say distances are getting harder to cover. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in Chennai Stay updated with the latest Chennai news.
An injured animal, or a carcass may remain unnoticed until the next patrol,” says Angakumar. “When elephants enter human habitation, morning shift staff may be needed to rescue the animals,” says a forest staffer. There is no staff shortage,” says N Vengadesh Prabhu, Coimbatore district forest officer. That way frontline staff can focus on patrolling,” says a forest official.
“Sometimes, it is seven days before frontline staff returns to a patch. “We need more staff or a reduction in the area assigned to each beat to improve surveillance and emergency response. A typical patrol team includes a forest guard, a forest watcher, and two APWs. Staff say human-wildlife conflict calls add to the pressure. This leaves them with little rest. Staff patrol with GPS devices, record direct and indirect animal signs, cover 10km a day. “Increasing strength alone would not reduce workload. We need to create a separate wildlife ranger system similar to the one in Gujarat to handle rescues, human-animal conflict, and other operations in revenue lands along forest fringes. Download the TOI App.