‘Wildlife Act 2015 extended to merged areas for wildlife conservation’

PESHAWAR, Khyber Pakthunkhwa Chief Conservator Wildlife Department Dr Mohsin Farooq Tuesday said Wildlife Act 2015 has been extended to merged areas to utilise its vast unutilized land for wildlife conservation.

Talking to reporters, Dr Mohsin said the KP government has approved Integrated Development Forestry Project (IDFP) worth Rs1,444 million for conservation, management and protection of wildlife species in merged areas. Dr Mohsin said it is a three years project (2020-23) under Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP 2020-21). Under ADFP, he said Rs 123.775 million would be spent on establishment of protected areas for wildlife conservation and development works, Rs50.135 million for purchase of machinery and equipment and Rs43.040 million on development and community awareness programs. Similarly, Rs71.050 would be allocated for pay and allowances of officers and staff of wildlife which would be recruited for merged areas soon.

Dr Mohsin informed that 653 new posts of wildlife were approved for merged areas and recruitment process would soon be started besides declaring two new community managed game reserves and cheer pheasants centre in Mansehra were rehabilitated. The Divisional Wildlife Officers (DWO) in settled districts is being given additional charge of Divisional Wildlife Officers to oversee development and conservation programs in their respective adjacent tribal districts, he said.

The Chief Conservator said an inclusive survey for estimation and scientific management of wildlife would be launched in merged areas soon.

He said the survey would be launched with assistance of Zoological Survey of Pakistan, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad. The restructuring of wildlife department is in final stage and draft feasibility studies as well as PC-1 for establishment of a mini zoo at Kanju Swat and declaration of new protected areas is under process, he said. Rules for effective management of national parks, community managed game reserves, combating illegal hunting and extension of wildlife act to merged tribal districts have been framed, he said, adding rules for national parks and community managed game reserves approved. Dr Mohsin said sports hunting were regulated to stabilize partridges' population in selected games reserves and permit fee was enhanced from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 per permit. Markhor Trophy Hunting Programme revenue has been enhanced from US$351,300 to US$512,500, adding Markhor Trophy hunting programme has made positive effects on conservation of Markhor in KP. Similarly, Rs85.071 million revenue has been collected till April 2020, which is Rs19.077 million higher than annual target of Rs65.994 million. The Chief Conservator said Khyber Pakthunkhwa Relief and Rehabilitation Department has approved compensation policy for victims of humans-wildlife conflict and many compensation cases of affected families were processed through deputy commissioners for payment. He said priorities were being given to strengthen national and wildlife parks for protection and conservation of the endangered species in semi natural conditions.

Five national wildlife parks were being established at Kumrat, Anso Lake, Satara Nand in Mansehra and Palas Kohistan.

Six national parks were already established including Saiful Malook and Lalusir in Mansehra, Nathiagali and Ayubia in Abbottabad and Chitral Gol in Chitral besides eight wildlife parks, nine pheasantries and 15 breeding enclosures in KP.

As many as 15 national parks including nine new has recently been announced by Prime Minister for all provinces under ''Protective Area Initiative'' that would help strengthen wildlife in Pakistan. The coverage of protected areas in Pakistan would be enhanced to 15 percent of the country's total land area from the current 13 percent and over 7,300 square kilometers area would directly come under conservation and protection of wildlife under this landmark initiative.

He said protected area of wildlife has been enhanced to 14.23pc of total land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and efforts would be made to increase it upto 20pc by 2023 after inclusion of merged areas under wildlife conservancy net. Dr Mohsin said 10 billion trees afforestration project (BTAP) was an important initiative in green sector of PTI Government and preference may given to plantation of indigenous species to increase flora and vegetations in wildlife habitats.

He claimed that eucalyptus was not suitable for wildlife habitats as it adversely affects growth of indigenous plants and flora besides causes dropping of water-table. Wildlife conservation in merged areas remains a cornerstone of the PTI government policy by approving Rs1,444 million project for breeding and up-keeping of an endangered wild species in semi-natural conditions.

From Bajaur to South Waziristan, a vast unutilized land is available for conservation and breeding of wildlife species and establishment of habitats for migratory birds that already started arriving in droves from Central Asian Republics (CARs) through green pathway to Pakistan where weeds and flora was available in substantial quantity courtesy to billion trees afforestration project under which over 1.20 billion saplings were planted during 2014-17 in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.