New Delhi: Five months after Supreme Court directed the relocation of hundreds of spotted deer from A N Jha Deer Park in Hauz Khas, Rajasthan has begun the process of working out a phased translocation plan, with a multi-agency committee set to meet on Oct 9.The committee, constituted by chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, includes representatives of Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which manages the deer park.A senior Rajasthan forest department official said the process is currently at the planning and inter-agency coordination stage. “In compliance with SC directions, a draft integrated translocation plan has been prepared, incorporating the requirements of both MHTR and RVTR,” the official said.The plan will be discussed and finalised at the Oct 9 meeting, following which formalities and arrangements for the phased relocation will be taken up, the official added.DDA said it had written to Rajasthan forest department twice after the SC order. “We have recently been communicated about the dates and will extend all support in implementing the plan,” a DDA official said.The development comes amid concerns over the increasing deer population and management of the deer park. During a visit to the park Wednesday, TOI found people trying to feed deer through the fences.In April, SC upheld Delhi High Court’s direction to relocate around 400 spotted deer from the park, endorsing a scientific assessment that found the urban enclosure incapable of sustainably supporting its growing deer population. The court said the relocation must be carried out in a time-bound manner, in accordance with updated guidelines and a detailed plan.Between 2023 and 2025, 261 deer were shifted to MHTR and RVTR.The court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, in its March 6 report, had assessed that the Hauz Khas enclosure could sustainably accommodate only 38 spotted deer, with an optimal sex ratio of 15 males and 23 females.Citing the Guidelines for Establishment and Scientific Management of Zoos in India, 2008, the committee noted that at least 1,500 sq metres of outdoor space is needed for every pair of spotted deer. The 10.2-acre enclosure at Hauz Khas has around 41,500 sq metres of total area, of which about 70%, or nearly 29,000 sq metres, was considered usable.The committee had also recommended measures, including planting native grasses and restoring water bodies in the park.On Wednesday, DDA officials said some measures, including planting fruit-bearing trees and developing grass patches inside the enclosure during monsoon, had already been undertaken, while plantations in the rest of the park as well as green areas are being maintained.
