Navegaon-Nagzira guides cross swords with park management

Nagpur: At a time when wildlife tourism season is at its peak, guides with Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Gondia-Bhandara districts have crossed swords with the park management over registration issue.

For the past eight days, over 107 guides in seven ranges are on strike opposing move to register them with the park management for a nominal annual fee of Rs100.

In their absence, the tourism activity is being carried out with the help of forest guards and temporary van majoors.

“Engaging frontline staff in tourism activity would be disastrous, especially when forest fires are raging and wildlife management needs more focus with the onset of summer,” says former honorary wildlife warden Sawan Bahekar.

Conservator of forest & field director M Ramanujam said, “Guides are making a fuss about the issue. This is not a sudden move to be protested. On July 4 last, during a meeting to address their grievances, the guides agreed to pay Rs100 and register themselves. Eight guides from Koka sanctuary got registered but they too are on strike under the influence of others.”

“For the last nine months, we have been pursuing them to register by giving an undertaking that they will abide by all rules and regulations and report violations by tourists, if any. We set March 8 deadline but as guides didn’t relent, we stopped their entry from March 11,” said Ramanujam.

On the contrary, president of Maharashtra State Guides Union Anil Tiwade says, “There is no such precedent to register the guides annually. The NNTR guides are working since 2006 when the tiger reserve did not even exist. Asking them to register every year would mean loss of employment for old ones as new entrants will prevail over them. In Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) too, there is no such rule.”

Sanjay Sahare, joint secretary of NNTR Guides Union, said in 2014 all guides had registered by giving an undertaking. Later, for two years, there was no such demand. Now with new field director taking over, once again guides are being told to register.

“There are no mandatory rules for guides’ registration and this procedure is not binding in other tiger reserves, then why NNTR is insisting on it? We were also issued I-card earlier,” he added.

Field director Ramanujam says the guides are stretching the issue too long and all their fears are unfounded. “The park has done a lot for guides by sending them to Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh for training to get exposure to wildlife tourism management,” he said.

“Huge money is spent on their capacity-building every year. A rest room has been allotted to them in Nagzira tourism complex. Uniforms were also distributed to them last year. We received funds for the same this year too. Registering themselves with the park is in their interest only,” says Ramanujam.

NNTR deputy director (core) Poonam Pate says, “The guides will have to complete the formality by registering themselves, only then they will be allowed inside. It is just an undertaking which asks them to be disciplined.”