Pench National Park

Conservation Issues:

Pench national park consists of various types of forest which includes South Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous (Slightly moist), Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Teak Bearing Forests and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest. Sustained protection input of last 17 years has improved the habitat.

Main flora in the area includes Teak and its associates moyan, mahua, mokha, skiras, tendu, bija, achar, garari, aonla, bhaman, ghont, baranga, amaltas, kihamali, khair, bhirra, palas. Bamboo occurs sparsely, restricted to some valleys.

Fauna associated with Pench includes Mammals: Tiger, leopard, jungle cat, leopard cat, striped hyaena, wild dog, wolf, common mongoose, sloth bear, pangolin, spotted deer, sambar, barking deer, nilgai, wild pig and gaur etc. Reptiles population: Freshwater crocodile, Indian chameleon, common krait, Indian rock python, cobra, Indian flap shell turtle, peninsular black turtle etc.Fishes: padhan, jhunda, sanbal, chalar, dadai, mahur, kunda, mrigal, rohu, calbasu and mahaseer etc.

Nilgai, barking deer and four-horned antelope are increasing. Tiger population and estimates are still under various debates but the official figure from the Government of India of Tiger populations in the park is estimated at 33.
 
Relocation of two forest villages, Alikatta and Chedia, from the core zone of the Reserve in 1992 and 1994 to Durgapur and Khairanj has resulted in the vacated areas now becoming grasslands and animals especially spotted deer frequent these places in large number. Pyorthadi meadow, created on the periphery of the reservoir, is a favoured refuge for many species of wild animals during the summer.
 
A good degree of efforts have been made to create water sources in various parts of the National Park.  Due to poor water retention capacity of the soil, anicuts and tanks do not serve the purpose as these water-bodies usually get dry by the end of February.  Few hand-pumps and artificial water holes have been created.  This has given excellent results to serve as artificial water holes during the summer season, when the water is scarce. It has resulted in enhanced use of those habitats, which were not being utilised by animals earlier.  

According to government figures 91 eco-development committees are striving to take up the additional work of forest protection.

World Bank funded India Eco-development project existed in Pench. The major components were to improve management, village eco-development, and environment education and awareness. 30 Eco-development committees were taken up for work in the year 1998-99.

Since May 1995, the Pench Sanctuary in the buffer has been brought under the control of the Reserve management.  The remaining areas of the buffer are under the management of   South Seoni Territorial Divisions, and East Chhindwara and South Chhindwara Territorial Divisions.

With the increase in animal population, crop depredation in the villages around the core is increasing.  Effort had been made to control the damage under the India Eco-development Project. Occasionally, cases of cattle-lifting by tigers were reported, especially near Gumtara village, and regular livestock lifting by leopards near the periphery of the core area were reported. In the core area, grazing is common in Chhindwara district, near Turia and Khamrith villages in Seoni district. Grazing is very severe in most parts of the buffer areas. Fire is not common in the reserve.

The people of Gumtara, Jamtara and Kokiwada are dependent on the forest for their daily needs i.e. fuel, fodder and non-timber forest produce resulting in hampering of regeneration of forest growth. Woody encroachment of grasslands by Palas, Lendia and S