Water hole patrol party busts liquor den in Tungareshwar

A move to monitor water holes, initiated by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) officials along with volunteers, seems to be helping the forest department reap rich dividends. Recently, a team of officials headed by Chief Conservator of Forest and SGNP Director Sunil Limaye, while patrolling water holes, busted an illicit liquor den inside Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS).

more in the offing: After busting the illicit liquor den that was operated by the locals in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, the SGNP officials are now planning to conduct several such raids in the coming days to rid the national park of illegal activities. Representation pic

The officials are now planning to conduct several such raids in the coming days to rid the national park of illegal activities. A forest department official said, "While patrolling the natural and artificial water holes at TWS, we got a tip-off that some locals were running an illicit liquor den inside the forest near Chinchoti waterfall. Acting on this information our chief, along with other forest department staff, reached the place and demolished the liquor den."

Keep it up
Welcoming the action taken, wildlife expert and environmentalist Krishna Tiwari said, "First of all, I congratulate the SGNP team for raiding and demolishing the illicit liquor den. I personally feel that more such raids and water hole patrolling should be done within SGNP as there are some places inside the park where such liquor dens could be operational."

Tiwari added, "It has been observed that illicit liquor dens are set near places where water is available easily. Hence, the forest department should undertake water hole patrolling on a regular basis, as it will help in curbing illegal activities inside the park, if any." Recently, MiD DAY had carried a report (‘SGNP watering holes being monitored for poachers', June 9) on how the forest department, along with volunteers, would be patrolling water holes in the forest to keep poachers at bay and how the patrolling would help keep a tab on illegal activities carried out inside the forest.u00a0