Officials allay displacement fears of Kumarambheem forest dwellers

Hyderabad: Forest officials in Kumarambheem Asifabad district have said that no one possessing legal ownership of land would be displaced in the plans for the Kumarambheem Conservation Reserve in the district.

For more than a week, there have been several protests by tribals led by leaders of some political parties opposing the declaration of the Kumarambheem Conservation Reserve through a GO issued by the govt on May 30.

The Kumarambheem Conservation Reserve will act as a corridor for Maharashtra’s Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana. “I have been interacting with tribals in several habitations and have explained to them what benefits could accrue for them. The people understand it. We have also explained that no one possessing legal right of ownership of land will be displaced," District Forest Officer (DFO) Kurambheem Asifabad district Neeraj Tibrewal told TOI on Thursday.

In the entire district, there are 2.44 lakh hectares of forest land. Out of this, 1.44 lakh hectares of forest area is being earmarked as a conservation reserve. Forest officials said in the conservation reserve, there were plans to develop eco-tourism sites, and these would only benefit the local public as the economy would develop.

The Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra is known to fetch considerable revenues from tourist visits. Tourists from Hyderabad who are headed there either go through Nizamabad or mostly through Kumarambheem Asifabad, which is closer to their destination. However, since there are no eco-tourism spots in the districts, tourists do not stop by here.

“It is not the possibility of spotting a tiger. It is a rich experience spotting any wildlife in the conservation reserve in Kumarambheem Asifabad,” Neeraj Tibrewal said.

The plans to develop a conservation area were first formulated in 2016 and revised in 2018, 2022, and 2024. Adivasi leaders, however, want the conservation reserve plan scrapped and have spoken with panchayati raj minister D Seethakka. The minister reportedly assured them that she would meet with them on June 14 to further discuss the matter.