Trouble brewing?

Soligas in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary are a distressed lot. The Forest Departments ban on the collection of non-timber forest produce for commercial use has affected them to a great extent, writes Keya Acharya.

It is mid-May and the rains are still awaited at Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT) in Chamarajanagar district. Somewhere inside, a Nilgiri's whistling thrush spellbinds with its magical trilling. But the enchantment is shortlived amid the palpable distress amongst the Soliga tribe living inside BRT, by the Forest Department's (FD) ban on collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) since 2006. Section 29 of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002 now bans NTFP collection, such as honey, herbs and fruits for commercial purposes from parks and sanctuaries, but allows it for personal livelihood use for forest-dwellers. Full Story