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EEIU India Uttaranchal Reports & Letters

S.A.V.E.
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION SECTION

1) The Psychology and Socio-economics of Poaching

Ever since the enactment of The Wild Life Protection Act in 1972, thousands of opinions and theories have received publicity, all of which, in some form or another, related to wildlife and its conservation. Yet, despite the laws, regulations and penalties, poaching remains an international phenomenon, comparable in many ways to such human tendencies as drug trafficking and abuse — and smuggling. For this reason, we decided to thoroughly investigate and analyse this destructive quirk in human nature, and our findings, gathered from the farmlands of the terai to the highest ranges in the inner Himalaya, give us no choice but to present our conclusions under the pompous heading outlined above.

Broadly speaking, there are three main categories of poachers, and for the benefit of the reader, we have classified them under the following headings:

1. The Rural Poacher
2. The Small Town Poacher
3. The Elite Poacher

(a) The Rural Poacher

From the terai to the remote villages in the inner Himalaya, the rural poacher's instincts are primarily governed by his environment and economic necessities. Malnourished as he is, he invariably has a large family to feed, and a regular supply of venison goes a long way, nutritionally and economically. His weapon used to be an antique yet remarkably effective muzzle-loader, though his fire-arm has been, to an appreciable extent, replaced by single and double-barrel shotguns. For ammunition he depends on the indigenously manufactured cartridges, which, available as bird-shot only, he reloads with crude buckshot to enable him to shoot larger animals like deer and wild boar, and of course, predators like tigers and leopards.

Until recently, a leopard skin fetched up to Rs. 1000/-, a tiger skin Rs. 2000/- and venison sold in the bazaars of Haldwani, Tanakpur and Ramnagar (and other small towns) for a lucrative Rs. 4/- per kilogram. Restaurants and wealthy traders were the main purchasers of venison and skins, though tiger and leopard pelts were usually purchased by traders specialized in this business. These were days of paradise for the resourceful rural poacher, especially for those who happened to reside close to the sanctuaries and reserved forests, for, as they ruefully admitted to me when I probed them, they made an average monthly income of upto 1,000 Rupees!

In the regions isolated from commercial towns along the foothills and middle Himalaya, the rural poacher is content to consume his kill and share it with his neighbours, though of late we have found a growing tendency of 'venison selling' in the villages, which can be considered a marker of the economic situation. Vethalghat, in Nainital district, has distinction in this field, though venison rates vary from Rs. 5/- to Rs. 10/- a kilogram, depending on the amount available and public demand.

In the higher Himalaya, an unabated demand for the musk deer pods, snow leopards pelts, dried gall-bladders of black and brown bear, monal pheasant skins, etc., make poaching a highly profitable business, despite the strict laws, which, lacking enforcement, particularly in the regions where severe physical conditions exist, have only served to make a mockery of wildlife conservation laws and their actual implementation. The rural poacher in these regions is commercially exploited and encouraged by traders of the Bhotia* community, who have an extremely well-organised underground racket. They supply the ammunition and advances in cash, and their business deals mainly with musk pods, exotic skins like that of the snow leopard and blue sheep, gall-bladders of black and brown bear, and so on. The Bhotia buyers are very often businessmen and traders for whom the skin business is a very profitable side-income. They are stationed in Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and other small towns in Kumaon, and though we have no concrete information for Garhwal and Tehri-Garhwal, reliable sources indicate that this community is responsible there too, though traders from the plains also purchase in certain areas. I investigated this problem in May 1976 and found that the purchased spoils are smuggled to Nepal from where they eventually reach international markets. The members of the Bhotia community whom I probed revealed that they have contacts in major cities and ports in India, invariably members of their own community, who never fail to lend a helping hand whenever possible.

UNLESS THESE TRADERS ARE BROUGHT TO ACCOUNT, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN THE HIGHER HIMALAYA CAN NEVER HAVE ANY REAL SUCCESS — this is our firm conviction.

Two aspects of the rural poacher's instincts are crude and destructive in the long run: viz, his utter disregard for the sex and maturity of the game he kills, and the seasons when different animals and birds breed. Yet, the rural poacher is the least destructive of all the poachers, for, if he weren't, there would be very little wildlife left. Our findings show that the average number of guns per village is almost constant, and has been so for the past century, just as the average number of animals and game birds shot every year is quite constant.

(b) The Small-town Poacher

This category consists of shopkeepers, restaurant-owners, orchardists, civil contractors, petty officials, school teachers, etc. — in short that level of small-town lower middle class who can afford a gun and cartridges to go hunting on Sundays and national holidays. For such people, poaching, or rather killing, constitutes a destructive outlet for the pent-up frustrations and complexes that their desultory, humdrum and routine occupations invariably breeds. Like the rural poacher, their weapon is usually a single- or double-barreled shotgun, though some possess rifles (usually without ammunition, thankfully) which they inherit or came to possess somehow.

But the hunting companion of the small-town poacher is usually alcohol, for that helps to alleviate the frustrations too, though it results in mules being shot as sambhars, house cats as hares, village dogs as leopards, and unfortunate grass-cutters as bears! We have recorded several instances of such drunken hunting all over Kumaon and every time the offender has been a small-town poacher. As can be expected from people of such background, they know nothing of the rudiments of jungle lore, haven't the foggiest conception of ballistics and hunting laws and possess only a vague knowledge of the animals and birds they want to kill.

They wound ten times what they kill; they litter the forests they enter — in the forests broken glass from discarded liquor bottles is becoming an increasing hazard for barefooted village women and children; they disturb the jungle, for when they see no game, they spend their ammunition on harmless birds and monkeys. They enter civil and reserve forests and sanctuaries without shame, and their presence in the village areas removes the last scruples of the rural poachers, who then begin to shoot everything after that, for they feel if they did not, then the small-town poacher certainly would!

In many places, the small-town poacher lends his gun to the rural poacher with orders to bring venison regularly, which the rural poacher readily does, ruthlessly. Without a doubt, the small-town poacher is the most destructive of them all!!

(c) The Elite Poacher

Here we have the cream of society — diplomats, civil servants, doctors, lawyers, metropolitan businessmen, industrial magnates and of course the nouveau riche. Half of these people suffer from a deep-rooted "Corbett complex" (as we have defined it), for they have read every one of the great man's books, have had their imagination fired with the excitement and adventure of 'killing man-eaters', and idolize Colonel Corbett as a 'killer of man-eaters', rather than as a great naturalist. Thirty percent of the elite poachers suffer from an 'identity' problem and have to prove their masculine egos to themselves andor the ladies around them.

Ten percent of them are outright, bloodthirsty killers, who will go to any length to satisfy their bloodlust and it is this type who hunt in sanctuaries and reserves. We have interviewed some of this despicable breed and find that only a lengthy spell of rigorous imprisonment will ever cure them of their cruel, inconsiderate passion. Ten percent of the elite poachers are genuine sportsmen who have degenerated with the times, or cannot afford the costs of hunting by license and law.

The new-rich 'take up' poaching as a necessary activity for social status and fashion. Yet these poachers at least take the trouble to learn some jungle lore and ballistics, and usually take interest in the surroundings of the forests and jungle they visit. They are usually armed with sophisticated weapons and other hunting paraphernalia like binoculars, telescopes, searchlights, etc., though most of this learning and equipment is to enable them to talk knowledgably at cocktail parties.

Many of the elite poachers join conservation societies and the World Wildlife Fund — to allay a nagging conscience in a few rare cases, but mainly to remove all public doubt of their boundaries. Yet the greatest secret ambition of scores of them, particularly the foreign diplomats, is to shoot a tiger (by any means) and have an achievement to brag about for the rest of their lives.

The 'modus operandi' of the vast majority of this class of poachers is to befriend a farmer or any other person who lives in the vicinity of forests, preserves and sanctuaries, and ply him with gifts, favors and such enticements that the fellow needs yet cannot get by usual means. Then the poachers visit him and in no time both parties search the forests at night with searchlight, looking for eyes from the comfort of a Jeep. Very few attempt to actually identify the 'eyes' when the latter are of doubtful ownership; almost none actually take the trouble to see whether they wounded what they have shot at, in case the 'eyes' don't drop instantly, for the elite poachers are usually incredible cowards, and can't bear the thought of getting out of a Jeep at night. When they are unsuccessful, they give their gun to the rural poacher (who invariably surfaces amongst such people as a 'shikari guide') and wait for him to bring the trophy, which he usually does. God only knows how many of the record trophies in India attributed to imposing names are actually the achievements of rural poachers.

This breed of poachers is less destructive than the small-town poachers, for their time of activity is limited during the year, and their field of activity is also restricted. They represent a fatal hazard for any living thing whose eyes shine at night, and by and large, this breed is dying out, thanks to strong government measures and the restriction on the Diplomatic corps.

(2) The Wild Life Act and its Implementation: Loopholes and Remedies

Before I proceed with this controversial aspect of conservation, I would like to bestow, on behalf of this society, the highest commendations on the Wild Life Wardens and their staff for the splendid battle, fought under heavy odds and utterly unfriendly conditions, over the past few years. Our investigations of the poacher problem gave us a clear picture of the situation from the other side of the fence, so to speak, and the firm actions in Ramnagar, Haldwani and Nainital Divisions have gone a very long way in discouraging unlicensed hunting along the foothills.

However, successful protection of wildlife in the hills is a very difficult affair, to say the least, and certainly special laws and regulations relevant to hill conditions must of necessity be included in the laws protecting wildlife. Our analysis contemplates the following amendments and inclusions, based on a practical assessment of the laws, their implementation and efficacy over the past four years.

(i) The Loopholes

(a) Poachers in hilly areas now go hunting in gangs, by which means lookouts are posted to keep a watch on wardens and other personnel, who signal the poachers when necessary, enabling the latter to effect a relatively easy escape in the mountainous conditions. This is particularly true with the small-town poachers.

(b) Unless caught 'red-handed', i.e. with a dead animal or skin or tail, the law has no provisions to punish the offender, despite his obvious intentions. Further, an armed presence in civil and reserve forests is not really questioned for intention, the standard excuse being 'self-protection' from 'dangerous' animals. This is one of the common ways in which the small-town poacher enters forest areas armed.

(c) Since house raids by the Wild Life Department unearthed unaccounted skins which led to impositions of heavy cash fines, poachers now take the precaution of skinning their animals in the forests, and, if the skin has no commercial value, burying it there. In any case, now they keep nothing at home and even the venison is eaten under surreptitious conditions. But the poaching goes on even if it is not overtly done, and the Wild Life Department has long lists of poachers whom it has not been able to catch red-handed or in a possession of a skin, and who are still poaching.

(d) Since cash fines are the highest penalty, for the most part, the small-town poachers seem to be willing to pay up if they get caught, and so actually get away with it a bit poorer, which they don't really mind, as many can afford it. We know of several poachers who have been fined in the recent past who still continue poaching, though now they are much more cautious. Fourteen of them are small-town types and three are elite poachers.

(e) As in the higher Himalaya, Bhotia traders encourage and finance commercial poaching from the cover of their business and trade, and since the regions from where the stuff comes is remote and difficult to police by virtue of its extreme geo-physical conditions, poaching remains an unabated profession because of the above limitations of the wild life protection laws, and a shortage of trained personnel for such regions. Though the revenue police and other authorities have been instructed to contain this malpractice, they can at best make a mild difference for they do not actively prevent poaching.

(f) Perhaps the single biggest handicap of the Wild Life Wardens is the total absence of public co-operation and lack of information on poacher movements. This can be explained by the fact that public opinion is on the side of the poacher, for the public does not have the faintest conservation ethics and sees the whole issue of conservation as a frivolous pastime, protecting what should be killed and eaten or sold. A lack of environmental education at the school level is responsible for this attitude and little or no publicity for the conservation ethic by mass media and other information bureaus in the hills explains the survival of this mentality.

(ii) Suggested Measures

(a) Imprisonment rather than cash fines

This measure will effectively curb at least 70% of the small-tow poachers, who apart from the disgrace of such a punishment stand to lose commercially too (for they are almost all petty businessmen and traders as I have described previously), and a spell in jail can completely jeopardize their economic base, a prospect which none of them seem to relish, for we put this aspect before them during our investigations, and only a few hard-core killers actually said it would deter them. Then, we believe that the latter few will have a radical change of opinion when the prospect becomes reality. Further, such an amendment will certainly serve a death blow to the elite poachers, who can under no circumstances suffer a spell behind the bars, for it means total disaster for them and their social status. The rural poacher too, will reconsider the wisdom of his profession or hobby, and the deterrent values of such an amendment at the rural level will be more than sufficient.

(b) Confiscation of weapon and permanent cancellation of arms license

This measure will effectively deter those people and part-time poachers who lend their guns out to rural and small-town poachers. Permanent black-listing under the arms act will also be extremely effective. Spot checks on license holders for their weapons, and prosecution under the arms act and the wild life act in case they don't have it at their home/residence or business premise, or at an armory or repair shop. For this purpose, the Wild Life Department should receive the list of arms owners from the administration, and particularly in sensitive areas next to sanctuaries, game reserves and other priority areas. People who aid and abet poaching must fall under the category of poachers and be subject to the same penalties. It must be remembered that it is ultimately the weapon and you've saved wildlife to an appreciable extent.

(c) Formation of Mountain Ranger Groups for Priority Areas

There is a great necessity for trained wildlife rangers and wardens for the higher Himalaya. Their function must be two-fold: firstly to keep a constant watch on fauna populations and movements in the higher elevations (for very little is known of the habits of the animals and birds that inhabit the region below and beyond the tree line), and to control with strict measures the poaching and illegal destruction of these animals. I must point out that the ecosystem at the higher elevations is an extremely diverse one, and very often the relation between the flora and the fauna is very close and inter-dependent, and any disturbances of either can easily endanger the whole system irreparably. Certainly, the musk deer and other grazing herbivores play a vital role in the perpetuation of many plant species. Any reduction of these species can stop generation or induce overgrowth in a wide range of floral species, both factors being very serious in the delicate infra-structure of the high elevation eco-systems.

In fact, it will become necessary in the years ahead to station trained ecologists and other Himalayan experts in the higher elevation on a year-round basis to ensure the survival of the fragile eco-systems there. A good, practical beginning would be the formation of mountain ranger groups, trained in mountain conditions and entrusted with the task of maintaining a close watch on plants, animals, birds, grazing livestock, etc., and thereby building a fund of first-hand information for future research studies and eventual exploitation.

This society [SAVE] will consider itself honored if it may recommend training methods and priority areas should this proposal be eventually approved by the authorities concerned, and in any case places its honorary services before the Wild Life Department for wild life conservation in the hilly areas of Kumaon.

(d) Licensing of Approved and Experienced Sportsman to Selectively Control Crop Pests

Over the last decade certain animals like the wild boar and porcupine have begun to cause great damage to cash crops in the hilly areas and in the foothills of the bhabhar. As I mentioned in a previous article (Ecology of Kumaon Hills, Bulletin of Indian Environment Society, Dec. 1974), these species have doubled their populations in the deforested, lantana-infested areas of the lower Himalaya and particularly in village forests which are heavily lopped and overgrazed.

With many herbaceous, fruiting and tuberous plants destroyed, the wild boar, with the tenacious adaptability of its species, has managed to survive on a diet ranging from carrion to worms, and every possible non-toxic root, fruit and flower. However, increasing populations within a limited and often decreasing resource base have forced this animal to take up crop raiding in a big way and it can be safely assumed that up to 30% of the damage done to the crops in the affected areas is by wild boars, primarily, and porcupines, secondarily, with great loss to the hill farmer.

In the absence of natural predators, man must assume this role before the situation reaches serious proportions, for both agriculture and the environment. Issuing permits for wild boar to the public will, we predict confidently, have no more than 2% success. More often than not, hapless dear and other game will be shot indiscriminately, and it will not be possible to maintain a check for the reasons already outlined. A more effective measure, we feel, would be to license genuine sportsmen to shoot wild boar within acceptable limits and in specific regions. One licensed person per region, with a fixed limit of boars to be shot, with a pre-planned programme of one week to twelve days per locality over a period of three months during the winter, will effectively control this problem. Departmental and village help and coordinated efforts by all concerned is certainly the best way of achieving reasonable success.

Our opinion is based on the answers we received from hundreds of villagers, sabhapatis, and sarpanches when we questioned them on this issue. The vast majority favored the plan outlined above and assured us of their ready cooperation for beating, tracking and otherwise hunting the wild boar and porcupines.

This society has already made a careful selection of the priority areas and of the persons who may be entrusted with this task, and if called upon, will gladly furnish the necessary details.

-----

It is hoped that the above analysis will serve a useful purpose for all concerned with wild life conservation. This society investigated the problem the hard way, i.e. by associating and participating with the poachers at all levels, in fact some of us lived with village poachers for quite some time. It was quite an undercover job in many ways, and more than once we came under suspicion and had to answer searching questions relating to our bonafides. We wouldn't be surprised if some of us are entered in the lists of various Wild Life Wardens! However, we feel a useful purpose was served in researching the problem and establishing its root causes, and hope that at least some ears will turn red when this bulletin is posted to our list of small-town poachers, for their good health and information, and for a change of heart on their part.

Fredrick Smetacek Jr.
S.A.V.E, EAS, MAY 1976, BHIMTAL 263136, INDIA

-----

(1) Latest News

By some estimates, wildlife trafficking has become the world's second largest illicit business after narcotics, and had grown into a multi-billion dollar business. The poachers and smugglers, constantly switching to safer and wilder routes to evade authorities, continue catering to buyers all over the world. Recently, the India-Nepal-Tibet route has been widely used.

Among the Major Trade Routes for this illicit wildlife trade are:

• Delhi/Lucknow-Pithoragarh-Dharchula-Kathmandu
• Delhi-Tanakpur-Mahendranagar-Kathmandu
• Patna-Razaul-Beerganj-Kathmandu
• Guwahati-Siliguri-Panitanki-Dhulabri-Nepal
• Darjeeling/Sikkim-Mirik-Pashupati-Kathmandu

Major seizures that took place in IndiaNepal over the past decade show the following picture:

According to a study conducted by Wildlife Trust of India, a Delhi-based conservation NGO, in the year 2002 in the states of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, one of the major findings states that from the mid-eighties, the Tibetans in exile living in India and Nepal became involved in wildlife trade in the region. And, facts suggest that the majority of recent wildlife seizures, especially in northern India, had Tibetan connection. The worst part is that in the majority of the seizures it was found that the skins recovered were of endangered species like tiger, leopard, rhino and otter.

The current trend in wildlife trade across the Indo-Nepal border boasts of a two-way trade, wildlife derivatives like tiger and leopard belt, bones, pelt of otter, deer, lesser cats, and even live mammals and birds are exported from India into Nepal and then to Tibet and further unknown destinations while raw sahtoosh wool is imported from Tibet via Nepal through this route. Lack of proper wildlife enforcement measures, poor knowledge of most enforcement personnel about wildlife articles and their importance can be attributed to this ongoing illegal trade.

(1) This extract is enriched with inputs from In-Depth, Sahara Times, Nov. 15 '03.
*The community called Bhotia in former parts of this document is called Tibetan in the latter.

To all concerned Individuals, Agencies & Institutions of the Lake-Region (Nainital to Naukuchiatal, including Sattal, Nal Damyanti Tal & Bhimtal, and Kumaon Himalaya) & All Human Beings Worldwide!

The collected documents that make up this appeal represent the findings and conclusions of intensive research and analyses by SAVE, its volunteers and associated Individuals and Institutions, from October 1974 to August 2002.

We have attempted to present a holistic and ground-truth based account of the ecological, socio-economic and multifaceted anthropogenic (human) activities that have adversely affected the land, forest and hydrology of this extremely fragile and sensitive region forming part and parcel of the Goula river catchment and basin.

These collected studies clearly point to unchecked deforestation, pollution and urbanization as the main culprits, in the absence of a long-term Master Plan and shoddy implementation of existing laws and strictures, and, not least, indifference on the part of local people.

Since the entire Lake-Region will now be covered under the National Lakes Conservation Programme (NLCP) we fervently hope that speedy and decisive measures will be undertaken to tackle the critical issues of deforestation, rapidly dwindling water resources, garbage disposal and prevention of pollution of the water bodies, among many other destructive factors.

A time-bound programme by the NLCP with the active participation of the women's groups, Panchayati Raj Institutions, regional organizations and knowledgeable local residents is absolutely necessary to achieve a measure of success and sustainability in this herculean task. Also, vast numbers of unemployed youth may be co-opted in this noble effort for ecological restoration and sustainable resource management.

We must not forget that there is only one Lake-Region in the entire Indian Himalaya, that may be lost forever, unless the Government and Citizens act with unflagging dedication and unity of purpose.

With greetings and every good wish for success!!

Fredrick Smetacek Jr.,
Chief Coordinator, SAVE

HQS. P.O.B. 5, Bhimtal 263136, Uttaranchal, India; 05942-247043, fredy@ntl.mickyonline.com
Coordinator Hqs: Ms. Meenakshi Kandpal; meenaa9@indiatimes.com

  Sept. 1975  

1. The Society of Appeal for Vanishing Environments was first conceived in July 1975, as a completely voluntary association of young citizens devoted to the preservation of endangered environments with special focus on the Himalayan region, and came into active existence with the publication of its first bulletin in September 1975. The bulletin and its main subject matter were very well received by all concerned and helped appreciably to initiate several crucial environmental measures in the Lake Region of the Kumaon Himalaya.
2. However, several unforeseen operational difficulties during the first few months of S.A.V.E.'s existence as an All-India society, coupled with the presence of other environmental associations in the urban areas, convinced me of the need to channelize the Society's resources and activities to the vital and neglected field of Himalayan environments and eco-systems. Therefore S.A.V.E. was re-organized in December 1975 to devote its attention entirely to the Himalayan region and is now headquartered at Bhimtal, in Nainital district of the Kumaon Himalaya, Uttaranchal, India.  
3. Situated in the Lesser-Himalaya at an altitude of approx. 4,300 feet with adjoining heights reaching up to 6,300 feet, Bhimtal and the surrounding forests, lakes and villages provide an excellent research and experimental ground for environmental studies. Over the years we have accumulated a vast collection of butterflies, moths, beetles and other insects, and have thoroughly listed birds, animals and plants that occur in the Lesser-Himalayan region and particularly in the Lake region from Nainital to Naukuchiatal. Further, my colleagues and myself, born, bred and educated in the hills, naturally understand the basic issues confronting the environment in the Himalaya, and our widening field of activity will certainly produce much more detailed botanical and zoological information, which, hopefully, we shall publish in future issues.
4. As the guiding principle of this Society requires that we function entirely voluntarily and within available resources and manpower, we have of necessity to operate with considerable financial limitations, despite the wide field of activity, though this factor is compensated to a large extent by the non-financial character of our programmes and efforts and the time we have at our disposal. All of S.A.V.E.'s active coordinators are agriculturists and/or horticulturists by occupation, and as such are residents of rural areas in the Himalaya, and working for a better environment assumes the role of a constructive pastime during long periods of relative inactivity, as between the planting and harvesting of crops etc.
5. To put the matter in a nutshell, S.A.V.E. is a voluntary association of young mountain residents committed to the cause of a better social and natural environment of the rural populations and preservation of the Himalaya themselves. Our laboratory is the forest and fields, our subject the village people for whom we work, and our objective is to achieve a harmonious relationship between Man and his environment in the decades ahead.

6. Research and Analysis of the ecology and socio-economics of Himalayan Environments was published in a limited quantity in September 1976 and posted to key National and State institutions and departments, as well as to various concerned and knowledgeable individuals.
7. The response, without expectation, was one of appreciation and encouragement. Soon S.A.V.E. was on the mailing lists of apex national and international organizations, and the few NGOs that were working on Himalayan Environments.
8. S.A.V.E. representatives were invited to various symposiums and conferences in India and abroad, but could only attend a few important ones in Delhi, Lucknow & Jaipur, where our own knowledge and contacts were widened considerably. Gradually, by 1982 onwards, the establishment of Central and State Ministries of Environment, Forests & Wildlife, plus literally dozens of NGOs nationwide, helped to carry our concerns to the highest levels of decision-making. Public awareness and activism also came to the forefront and in a way. S.A.V.E.'s efforts, along with those of other organizations had paid off to an appreciable extent.
9. Around 1989/90 we decided to restrict our activities to grassroots research (socio-economical and ecological) and exchange notes with concerned individuals and institutions. These activities led us to a broader understanding of the anthropogenic pressures that have begun to manifest themselves in the Western Himalaya, leading to irreversible ecological damage and rapidly dwindling economic and natural resource bases. The recession of the glaciers is one of the most frightening aspects of this degradation.
10. In October 2000, a newspaper item revealed a proposal by a building mafia to forcibly take over the protected forested areas between the Sattal and Bhimtal Lakes (in fact our Headquarters and study area too!) by a politically backed conspiracy hours before the separation of the State of Uttaranchal. Their plans included a township and other commercial buildings with a 10km zigzag road network. After a protracted battle with a corrupt bureaucracy and the front-men of the mafia, S.A.V.E. finally moved a Public Interest Litigation in the Honâble High Court at Nainital on 21st December 2001. Our PIL No. 944 was accepted by the Court and a Stay Order on illegal felling and other activities was obtained. This has temporarily halted the destruction but until clear-cut directives from the H.C. are not pronounced the mafia and associates are still doing their corrupt best to gain a foothold here.
11. We are very proud to say that S.A.V.E. received widespread support from almost every corner of Uttaranchal and especially from the media. Concerned individuals from diverse walks of life came forward on their own to offer whatever support they could provide us. The battle is ongoing and Legal Hearings are expected to start mid-July '03 onwards. Needless to say, we intend to win this battle and set a legal example and precedent for the whole of Uttaranchal.
12. We need all the support we can get — moral, intellectual & financial. Please join hands with S.A.V.E!!

The lake region of Kumaon Himalayas lies within an area of 180 square kilometers and comprises the following lakes:

1. Nainital Lake [6360 ft]
2. Bhimtal Lake [4340 ft]
3. Naukuchiatal Lake [4240 ft]
4. Three lakes of the Sattal Group. [all situated at 4240 ft]

Externally, the ecological influence of the lake region extends from the foothills in the south to the glacier regions of the north.

Internally, the lake region has immense ecological, economic, social and political significance.

• The lake region from Nainital to Naukuchiatal lying between 4000 ft and 8500 ft comprises three forest belts. Each of these belts is typical of a particular altitude range and consequently supports a corresponding form of animal, bird, plant and insect life. The lake region of Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal is unique for its biodiversity since it falls in the blend zone of Paleastic and Indo-Malayan zoo-geography. It boasts 500 species of resident and migratory birds, 20 species of mammals, over 525 species of butterflies and over 11 000 species of moths, beetles, bugs and other insects.¹ Identically, the flora covers a wide and diverse range of plants, ranging from orchids, rare climbing plants, ferns, fungi, and medicinal herbs and shrubs, forming a unique ecosystem in the Himalayas. It is thus a hot spot for biodiversity.
• Cumulatively, the Naukuchia — Bhimtal — Sattal area is a vital buffer zone between the lower foothills and Bhabar areas on the one hand and the higher regions up to the snow bound areas on the other. The intermediate Nainital zone is completely dependent on this buffer zone, and any change in temperature will definitely affect the zone. Any change to dryer and hotter conditions in this buffer area will definitely move forward until it reaches the glacier region. An increase of even 0.5 degrees centigrade in the average temperature here will cause a considerable decrease in snowfall and will eventually force the glaciers to recede. As it is, the greater part of Almora district, which lies between the glacier zone and the lake region, is dry and arid with comparatively little evergreen primary forest, apart from the hot pine forest and scrub jungles. The agricultural and horticultural ecology of this district is deteriorating day by day as years of deforestation, soil erosion and irresponsible development coupled with an increasing population of humans and livestock have now begun to take their toll.
• The lake region has had an integral connection with the Terai and Bhabar areas as well. The lake region received rain from the monsoon clouds primarily due to the dense rain forests of the Terai and Bhabar which are cloud attracters and precipitators. The monsoon water permits the lake region to persist and provide a buffer zone of temperate climate at altitudes where it would normally be much hotter and drier. Hence these two eco-systems are closely connected and neither can persist for long without the other, which is to say that Haldwani region is vital to Bhimtal region and vice-versa, ecologically and therefore economically.
• The lakes are the major source of drinking water for all the human settlements around their banks and for lakhs of people downstream.
• The Nainital Lake harbors five species of evergreen oaks with vast forests of deodars, cypresses, rhododendron and other species of higher elevation forest belt. The entire economy of Nainital is geared to the tourist trade, providing not only local employment, but also a market to the agricultural and dairy produce of the outlying countryside.
• Mirror and Scale carps and the Golden Mahseer are to be found in the Sattal lakes, providing occupation and income to Scheduled Caste populations situated above them. They also provide underground recharge of sources to villages on their banks.
• The Nainital, Bhimtal and Sattal lakes provide water for irrigation of vast tracts of Bhabar from Ranibagh to Haldwani and thus support many human settlements. This practice originated during British rule, when dams were built across the lakes and water led by canals to join the Gola River.
• The lakes also form the source for many springs and streams which are critical for supplying drinking water in the region.

Over the last couple of decades, alarmingly adverse developments have occurred which threaten the existence of this ecologically fragile region and the health and economic security of the human populations that depend on it. These developments are typical of those which have overtaken the hill region as a whole in recent decades, and thereby render the lake region a microcosmic reflection of the macro-level environmental, demographic and 'developmental' changes that have taken place.

In brief, these are:

1. Extensive deforestation around the lake areas.
2. Haphazard road making.
3. Rapid colonization and uncontrolled urbanization of the catchments and forest areas of the lake region. There has been an unplanned and uncontrolled influx of settlers in the Bhimtal lake region, specifically from outside the region, and rapid development of housing facilities without reference to the capacity of the natural resource base to support such settlements. Behind such an influx is the widespread distress sale of land by local land owners and their displacement to the plains.
4. An uncontrolled expansion of the conventional tourist trade in Nainital and Bhimtal lakes areas without any reference to the ecological characteristics of the region.
5. Unplanned industrial development in the Bhimtal region. Between 1986 and 2001, 64 industrial units were permitted to be set up by acquiring 107.85 acres of agricultural land in the heart of Bhimtal.
6. The lack of repair and maintenance of the dams (which are in a state of impending collapse with serious consequences), surrounding roads, drainage system and islands due to which excessive pollution, siltation and leakage of water takes place on a continuous basis. This is mainly due to lack of coordination between different agencies responsible for these functions.
7. Improper planning and laying of sewage lines by the authorities which has denied
8. Complete lack of planning for garbage disposal and arbitrary dumping of garbage in the area by authorities and citizens alike.
9. Dumping of trash into the lakes by tourists and shop owners located illegally on the shores of the lake.
10. Illegal location of hotels and houses within the prohibited limits of the lake shores.
11. Illegal pumping of water directly from the lake for private use by hoteliers and individuals.
12. Lack of parking sites for government buses, tourist buses and other vehicles which now stop on the lake shores. Fuel leaks finally enter into the lakes causing fish mortality and pollution.
13. Lack of public sanitation facilities due to which the lake shore is used as open toilets and also for bathing and washing by poor communities and migrant labourers.
14. Illegal sales of ecologically sensitive forest land to private builders for construction of a township and resort in Bhimtal. This land was Van Panchayat land, dense forest and included under the green belt of the Bhimtal master plan.²

1. Alarming ecological changes have taken place in the lake region.³
   • There has been an increase in the occurrence of lower elevation deciduous trees and shrubs and a proportionate decrease in evergreen trees and shrubs typical of the lake region, i.e. the bank forest belt.
   • An increase in the occurrence of typically lower elevation birds, particularly those associated with hot, swamp conditions and a proportionate decrease in the characteristic bird life.
   • An appreciable drop in the average rainfall, an appreciable increase in the average summer temperature and the absence of winter snow and hail over a long period.
   • The rapid drying up of perennial springs and a noticeable decrease in the overall groundwater level, which can be seen by early drying up of lower undergrowth, the gradual disappearance of various pteridophytes, Bryophytes, and fungi associated with this region and the half-filled lakes of Bhimtal and Sattal.
   • The total absence of the larger mammals associated with this region and the appearance of typically low elevation mammals.
   • A noticeable increase in typically low elevation insect life.
   • An alarming increase in the incidence of leaf curl infection on fruit trees such as plums and peaches.

• These changes are a pointer to the danger of the lakes turning into swamps, with disastrous consequences on the temperate fruit orchards that constitute the major occupation in this region, with adverse repercussions on agriculture and the tourist industry. If unchecked, the adverse consequences will extend northwards, into the Upper Himalaya; lessen the incidence of snow, which in turn will have a deleterious effect on glaciers that provide the water supply — both surface and ground water — for the entire Gangetic Plain.

2. Serious water shortages in the Ranibagh/Kathgodam/Haldwani areas have already occurred. Studies by the irrigation department, Kumaon University and others have proved constantly that the ground water levels have fallen very sharply in the Haldwani region and many springs and streams (all tributaries to the Gola river) have dried up or been reduced to mere trickles. There have been increasing public demonstrations in the entire lake region from village to city level protesting against lack of clean drinking water.
3. High levels of siltation in the lakes due to brazen flouting of rules regarding building activities on the slopes around the lakes as well as the allowing of sewage nullahs to open into the lakes.
4. Scientific analysis of the water of the Bhimtal Lake has revealed that it has become unfit for drinking and domestic purposes. However, it continues to be used.

A range of stakeholders are adversely affected by the lack of coordinated and environmentally sustainable management of the lake area.

• Firstly, the natural environment and animal, bird, fish and insect life, and flora and fauna are at great risk.
• Secondly the livelihood security of local rural populations dependent on agriculture, horticulture, forest products, fish and wildlife is at risk. Among these, socially and economically disadvantaged sections such as women, Scheduled Caste and Tribe populations, and migrant labour are proportionately more adversely affected than others.
• Lack of access to safe drinking water affects the varied local habitants and habitations disproportionately.
• Health risks occur across the board, with economically depressed populations more affected than others.
• The benefits from the tourism industry is disproportionately distributed between local populations and immigrant business and entrepreneurial classes.
• The disastrous effects of the ecological degradation in the lake region are sharply felt by the downstream populations in the Terai and Bhabar areas.

¹Source: Fredrick Smetacek, Jr., resident of Bhimtal and popularly known as the "Butterfly Man of India"
²This matter, reported in the media, is under enquiry by the State Government and is now under litigation in the High Court of Uttaranchal, brought in public interest by SAVE, an environmental organisation from Bhimtal
³Fredrick Smetacek, Jr., "Ecology of Kumaon Hills", Bulletin of the Indian Environmental Society, December 1974

From: Fredrick Smetacek, Jr., Chair, EEIU Uttaranchal SAVE, Bhimtal, INDIA
To: Prof. Otto Kinne, EEIU President, Headquarters, GERMANY

Dear Dr. Kinne,

Thank you very much for your email of 24/07/03. I'm honored to be appointed as Chair of EEIU's new Chapter. My associates and I will do our best to carry EEIU's theses and principles from the remotest villages to the highest levels of decision making.

With very warm regards,

Fredrick Smetacek, Jr.
Chief Coordinator, SAVE

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Reply, 25 July 2003

Dear Fredrick Smetacek,

It is a pleasure for me to receive your commitment to "carry EEIU's theses and principles from the remotest villages to the highest levels of decision making".

Of course you know that your brother and I are good friends. I would be pleased if this friendship could, in the future, also embrace you.

Best wishes to you and your Chapter.

Otto Kinne

This page was last updated on 15 January 2004.