Ahead of Centre’s March 31 deadline on making India Maoist-free, TOI, in a 2-part series, examines how Sunabeda will benefit as LWE influence dwindles in the areaDeputy range officer Pinku Bhoi still remembers the years when entering the deep forests of Sunabeda meant carrying not just a patrol diary and a stick, but going in with a constant fear of not returning home. Patrols were short, cautious and often abandoned before dusk. Every bend in the rugged hill tracks, every silent patch of sal and bamboo, carried the possibility of Maoist presence. Today, as he leads his squad through the same dense stretches of Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, the difference is stark. They move by day and by night, no longer dictated by the shadow of the rebels. In the fringe villages too, the change is visible. The respect and attention once visible towards armed rebels is now increasingly directed at forest staff.That sense of release is at the heart of a remarkable transformation unfolding in one of the state’s most difficult forest landscapes. For nearly a decade-and-a-half, Sunabeda sanctuary remained trapped between its ecological importance and the influence of left-wing extremism. The sanctuary’s steep plateaus, deep valleys and remote forest tracts made it ideal not only for wildlife, but also for Maoist movement and shelter. Forest personnel, who should have been the most visible presence in the sanctuary, were often forced into retreat. Regular patrolling became rare, habitat management suffered and conservation work slowed down.“Now, with Maoist influence receding, we are geared up to take up rapid revival work. We have resumed activities like night patrolling, once unthinkable in the difficult terrain, across the sanctuary. Anti-poaching vigilance has improved and habitat restoration work is also gathering pace,” Sunabeda’s divisional forest officer Samir Sahu said.For Sahu and his team, the revival is not just an administrative success but something they see and feel during every patrol. “The forest is no longer a zone to be crossed nervously. Animal sightings have become more frequent, a sign that the sanctuary is getting restored ecologically,” Sahu added.The sanctuary now houses more than 70 leopards, an indicator of its conservation value. The presence of such a healthy leopard population points to a functioning ecosystem with prey, cover and relative security. For wildlife officials, this is one of the clearest signs that Sunabeda is recovering from years of neglect imposed by conflict.“Habitat management works, long delayed, are now being implemented with greater confidence. Meadow development has become a priority, aimed at improving forage and habitat quality for herbivores, which in turn supports larger carnivores,” Sahu said, adding, “anti-poaching camps are being set up in vulnerable stretches to deter illegal hunting, while protection measures are being strengthened across sensitive areas.”Though a sense of security is palpable among the forest staff, vigil support remains part of the picture. CRPF personnel stationed on the hill continue to provide a protective shield, helping ensure that the gains made in recent years are not reversed. “Their deployment has created the conditions in which forest staff can return to their core responsibilities. In Sunabeda, conservation and security have become closely linked,” Ajay Xess, assistant conservator of forests (Sunabeda), said.Even as the sanctuary sees signs of revival, major challenges remain, with the most sensitive being the relocation of villages from within the sanctuary. “Wildlife officials are aware that long-term conservation in a protected area often depends on reducing human (anthropological) pressure in core habitats and they are gradually planning the process of relocation. But relocation in such landscapes is never merely a technical exercise. It involves livelihoods, identity and trust,” Xess added.Another challenge lies in developing eco-tourism in Sunabeda along the lines of other wildlife destinations without disturbing its fragile recovery. The sanctuary has the natural assets for it: three beautiful waterfalls which can be transformed into eco-tourism sites. But for now, only day-long tourism is being planned. “Eco-tourism here will require careful planning and community participation. We will have to wait for that,” Sahu said.
