Villagers near Kishenpur sanctuary demand relocation
25 May 2009, 0239 hrs IST, TNN
LUCKNOW: The villagers living on the fringes of Kishenpur sanctuary in south Kheri forest division are demanding relocation. The demand is coming forward from village clusters in Kamp Tanda.
The hamlet was in news after a stray tiger from Kishenpur had killed three of its natives in between December and January. Though the man-eater was trapped later, yet it infused fear in villagers who had been living close to the sanctuary for hundreds of years. Now, they want land away from the sanctuary.
Even officials from the area confirmed that the demand for relocation was raised immediately after the killings took place. The intervening election period, however, had subsided the demand but the demands are coming again.
Officials also added that the demand is in favour of forest. If the villagers move out it will reduce the instances of man-animal encounters thus adding to the quality of forest.
The villagers, on the other hand, are raising other issues also in favour of relocation like better agricultural conditions since their major source of earning is farming. The decision on relocation will be taken up after National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) agrees on it.
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