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To tackle trespassing cases and in light of the recent arrest of poachers involved in skinning a leopard caught in a snare at Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), the Forest Department has decided to step up foot patrolling inside the forest.

To bolster surveillance, 563 personnel from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) will join forest staff in patrolling to curb poaching and encroachment. A special one-week training programme for MSSC staff is scheduled for next week, where they will learn forest foot-patrolling techniques and how to locate snares used by poachers to trap wildlife.

The guards, who will assist the Forest Department at SGNP, have already undergone two weeks of policing training covering road domination and crowd control. Now, it’s time for the jungle version. According to sources, Rs 11 crore will be paid to MSSC for a period of one year.

How move will help

With over 150 guards being deployed, the Forest Department expects the additional manpower to boost vigilance within the park. The decision comes as SGNP continues to grapple with encroachment, poaching threats, and human-wildlife conflict along its periphery.

Official Speak

Deputy Director (North) Pradip Patil said, “More than 150 MSSC guards under SGNP North’s jurisdiction will be trained next week. They will be briefed on the history of SGNP, including its entry rules and key court cases that defined its boundaries.”

Patil added that the guards will also be trained in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “From a wildlife perspective, we will teach them the precautions to take in forest areas, and they will participate in foot patrolling,” 
he said.

About SGNP

Spread over 103 sq km, this rare urban protected area is surrounded by dense populations of 20,000-22,000 people per sq km around its periphery. It faces heavy human impact, including forest fires, poaching, and man-animal conflict.

The postings

Deputy Director (South) Kiran Patil said, “In my jurisdiction, 410 guards have been posted; while 153 guards have been posted in SGNP North. They have undergone five days of training on how to assist the Forest Department in preventing trespassing, illegal encroachment, and other offences.” The deployment was carried out on the instructions of a Bombay High Court-appointed high-power committee.