Director Panna tiger reserve transferred for opposing Ken-Betwa river linkage; email reveals

BHOPAL: Red flagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ken-Betwa river-linking project, seems to have cost R Sreenivasa Murthy his stay at Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) as its director. In a recent administrative shake up of forest officials, Murthy was transferred to Kuno wild life sanctuary where introduction of Gujarat lions is still a distant dream.
Murthy had submitted an adverse report on the ambitious Ken-Betwa river link saying it would affect tiger habitat.
Though top forest officials in the state claim, Murthy himself wanted to move out from Panna, an e-mail conversation in possession with TOI shows principal secretary of water resources department (WRD) was annoyed over Murthy’s objections to the project. And this is believed to be a major reason behind his transfer.
“Agenda note is one-sided and misquotes facts. Very purpose of the 4-member committee has been misquoted by director Panna Park. There are factual errors and assumptions which are not warranted. Dissent of the director should not be taken without examination at your level to state wildlife board. Personal views of one individual officer should not be allowed to deprive benefits of economic development and sustenance of about a million families,” reads an e-mail sent recently to chief wildlife warden (CCF) Narendra Kumar by R S Julaniya, principal secretary (PS) WRD.
In his report to Madhya Pradesh chief wildlife warden, Narendra Kumar, Murthy said implementation of the project cannot be recommended as more than 200 square km of PTR would be submerged.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey claimed shifting of Murthy would risk Panna tigers. “Murthy was the officer who had called for a CBI inquiry into disappearance of Panna tigers. The matter was brushed under the carpet and Murthy was slammed by then chief secretary for doing so. He had always been on hit list of bureaucrats for his proactive efforts in conserving the wildlife, especially big cats,” claimed Dubey. He said the Panna tigers were safe till Murthy was there.
CCF Narendra Kumar refuted the charges and said it was Murthy’s sixth year running at the same place and he himself wanted to quit Panna for medical reasons.
On September 10, 2011, Murthy was felicitated in Delhi with WWF-PATA’s Bagh Mitra Award at a function hosted by the Ministry of Tourism for his enduring efforts to reintroduce and revive tiger population at PTR. Murthy was posted in Panna in 2009 after it reported a ‘zero’ tiger population and he left the reserve leaving behind 27 tigers.
Activist Ajay Dubey is all set to move court against Ken-Betwa river link project. The Rs 9,393-crore project involves 9,000 hectares of land, half of which is forest area. If the project is cleared, 10% of the tiger reserve will be taken away. It also involves transferring 591 million cubic metre of surplus water in Ken basin through 231.45-km canal to Betwa river. An estimated 6,000 hectares of land is needed for acquisition and the resettlement is estimated to cost Rs 333 crore.