Wildlife Management

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According to Article 48 of the Indian Constitution, the state "must seek to conserve and promote the environment and protect the country's forests and animals. Additionally, Article 51 of the Indian Constitution makes it clear that each and every Indian individual It has a responsibility to preserve the natural world, including its woods, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, improve it, and show compassion for all living things.

The "Wildlife (Conservation) Act, 1972" contains measures for the protection of wildlife, birds, and plants as well as to address related or incidental issues in order to guarantee the ecological and environmental security of the nation.

Jharkhand is known for its rich biodiversity. The Bokaro region also contributes significantly for the rich biodiversity and heritage of Jharkhand.

The region is home to a variety of mammal species include elephants, sloth bears, Indian pangolins, Indian wild dogs (dholes), spotted deer, sambar deer, langurs etc. There are pockets in the region which are haven for birdwatchers, with a wide range of avian species including peafowls, Indian rollers, hornbills, egrets, herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, and a variety of migratory birds during the winter season.

Various reptiles were also found and reported in the region include Indian pythons, king cobras, Indian rock pythons, monitor lizards, and other numerous species. The presence of various amphibians such as frogs and toads play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the state's wetlands and forests.

The region also boasts a rich invertebrate fauna, including diverse species of butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, spiders, and other insects. These invertebrates contribute to pollination, decomposition, and overall ecosystem health.

The region has a significant presence of elephants in all the divisions. They are not resident population but migrate from other regions seasonally. One route is from Singhbhum-Khuti Ranchi-Ramgarh- Bokaro- Giridih-Hazaribag and vice versa. Similarly elephants also migrate from Hazarinagh-Giridih-Dhanbad-Jamtada-Dumka and vice versa.

During the crop season, these elephants cause a lot of crop damage and sometimes they also cause death or injury of villagers when they venture in to the zone of these elephants. Steps are taken to ensure their conservation and minimize human-elephant conflicts.

The forest of the region in Dhanbad and Giridih district acts as buffer to two protected areas dedicated to wildlife conservation, namely, Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Topchanchi Wildlfie sanctuary. Such forest area acts as a mechanism to safeguard wildlife and their habitats, offering opportunities for conservation and ecotourism.

The region faces various challenges in its endeavour towards wildlife conservation, including habitat fragmentation, encroachment, and human-wildlife conflict. Continuous efforts are made to address these challenges through implementation of conservation oriented policies such as wildlife management plan which focuses on habitat restoration and Man-Animal Conflict mitigation, various plantation schemes to restore the degraded and open forest areas with native species and species suitable for wildlife like bamboo, Sisham, Jack fruit, Bargad, Pipal, Terminalia, Khair etc, Soil and Water Conservation works including Check Dams to ensure water availability in summers, and community engagement. Also, Elephant trackers, members of JFMC are employed and a Quick Response Team is deployed for mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, promoting sustainable practices, and raising awareness among local communities.

Man Elephant Conflict in Bokaro region is a frequent occurrence in all the region as elephants raid agricultural crops during crop season, venture in to human habitations in search of food grains and in the process cause lot of damage to life and properties of people. In order to mitigate both preventive and control measures are taken in short, medium and long term basis. Quick Response Teams are dispatched to areas of conflict immediately on receipt of information of elephants entering human habitations and efforts are made to drive them back to forests with the help of local people and district administration. For the damage caused by elephants and other wild animals, Compensation is paid as per the norms to the affected families as soon as possible. For medium and long term management, food, water and shelter are managed by afforestation with local and wildlife suitable species, Soil and Water Conservation measures, construction of Check dams etc.

The details of Compensation payable to various types damages to life and property in the state of Jharkhand are as follows.

A brief over view of compensation amount that has been disbursed within the region in the financial year 2022-23 is given below :

The region has been in coordination of Wildlife Crime Control Beaureau and have implemented various anti-poaching measures to combat wildlife crimes. The central agency provides intelligence inputs from time to time and field staff undertook regular patrols, and utilizing modern surveillance techniques to prevent illegal hunting and trafficking of wildlife.

As a result of Co-Ordination with WCCB, smuggling of important species like turtles, Pangolin, etc was prevented and necessary legal action was taken against the culprits involved.

Community participation and awareness programs are essential for effective wildlife management. The government, along with local communities, conducts awareness campaigns, training programs, and livelihood initiatives to encourage community participation in wildlife conservation.