Uniqueness of Pench Tiger reserve lies in the large dam constructed on river Pench and the electricity generation plant within the Tiger reserve. Some of the labourers that were brought in by the contractors at the time of dam construction had settled in the colonies since then. Resettlement of the colony had turned into a controversy where the occupants were refusing to move out, claiming it their bona fide right, and the Forest Department treating them as encroachers, accusing them of illegal activities like fishing and timber smuggling. SHODH took up this study to understand the existing situation in the Tiger Reserve and to assess the damage inflicted due to encroachments and illegal fishing. It also tried to pin point the reasons, modus operandi, and ultimate beneficiaries of this illicit activity. 

Study Funding: SHODH: The Institute for Research and Development, Nagpur

Study Output : Newspaper article.