Land encroachment issues continue to plague Nagaland Zoological Park

[caption id="attachment_255412" align="aligncenter" width="600"] View of dug out soil below the Nagaland Zoological Park boundary wall towards Dhansiri River.[/caption] Eastern Mirror Desk Dimapur, June 18: Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP) has failed to establish a firm foothold over its territory even after it came into being almost eleven years ago. The zoo is strife with land encroachment issues with perpetrators constantly indulging in “illegal activities” that “disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the park,” according to the director of the zoo, Dr. Prabhat Kumar and the office-in-charge Obed Bohovi Swu. One person, Viho Awomi is reported to have filed 13 cases against NZP since 2003. All of them have been dismissed in favour of the department of Forest. “The lower court did not give proper verdict to some cases filed. So we have to go to high court. But still he continues to stake his claim,” added Swu. During the 13th case in May this year, the High Court (Kohima Bench) appointed a commission to conduct spot verification with both the parties to verify the boundary. The commission was also created to see if the neighbouring village should exist and to check whether it was set up under customary law and norms set by the state government. “After hearing from both the parties, they have submitted the report to the court,” shared Swu. In the past, the perpetrator has also been reported to have encroached and settled in a land opposite to the park. He was evicted twice—first in 2003-04 and second in 2015, said Swu adding that Awomi is not a resident of the area. Swu also disclosed that there were several “physical altercations’” between him and the staff of NZP. “In the past, he was not alone; there was another person named Akhalu whom, along with his party, manhandled my staff and I,” explained Swu and added that the party fled after a problem arose. Awomi took advantage and started collecting money as registration fees to settle in the area. Later, Awomi’s group started clearing the jungle inside the park. “Within three to four days, lots of area was destroyed,” lamented Swu. “Currently, there are no reports of physical altercations and no report of land encroachment, but as a precautionary measure, security forces are deployed at the park,” assured Kumar. The director shared another incident about some unknown perpetrators who dug out soil below the boundary wall towards Dhansiri river bank.  “Since the soil near the river bank is loose, these people dig the soil in order to weaken the foundation of the wall so that they can encroach with ease,” said Kumar. In a different incident, it was reported that unknown miscreants started a fire inside the NZP. “This year also, a fire burnt about half hectare of the zoo. Timely intervention by the security managed to stop the fire from spreading. We found a charred ball made of cloth in the burnt area. It was covered with sack and tied with iron wires," said Kumar and added that the culprits have been difficult to trace. “The government has entrusted us to protect this land so we will abide by it. We are not allowing such type of activities inside the zoo,” stated Kumar. The officials claimed that NZP is a part of Rangapahar Wildlife Sanctuary notified in the year 1986. It is a part of the erstwhile Rangapahar Reserved Forest which was notified from 1916 to 1919, before the time of Independence. “We have maintained a stand that when the area has been notified so long ago, the question of government taking over private land does not arise,” said Swu. Meanwhile, the director was optimistic that the NZP is getting tremendous support from the government, civil society and the students from different schools and colleges. He added that various campaigns are being conducted to create awareness among the public, especially the students. Located at Rangapahar in Dimapur, NZP covers a total area of 176 hectare. It is classified as a ‘category medium zoo’ by the Central Zoo Authority.