Maharashtra To Strengthen Forest-Police Coordination Against Wildlife Crime; District Tiger Cells To Meet Every Month

Mumbai: Wildlife crime is no longer local but inter-district, inter-state and international, and no single agency can tackle it alone, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Wildlife, M.S Reddy; stressing the need for police support in CDR/SDR analysis, cyber forensics and financial investigation, and for law and order during encroachment removal and human–wildlife conflict.

Police Support Crucial

"Under the Joint Circular issued by the PCCF Wildlife and the DGP on 1 September 2026, District Tiger Cells chaired by the Superintendent of Police will meet monthly, Revenue Division-level reviews will be held quarterly, Joint Investigation Teams will take up serious cases, every district will have Forest and Police nodal officers, and joint training will be held every year," Reddy said on Wednesday during the Inter-Agency Workshop, organised by the Forest Department, Government of Maharashtra, as part of Wildlife Week 2026. He added that a permanent inter-agency coordination mechanism among Forest, Police, WCCB, Customs, DRI, Navy, Mangrove Cell and Port Authorities is planned for the Western Region.

Speaking on permanent coordination mechanism, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) Sanjay Khandare said that an inter-agency SOP for exotic animals seized at airports is being prepared, and proposed a common platform be created for information on wildlife offences and offenders, and that joint training be held for forest, police and customs staff.

The workshop was chaired by Ganesh Naik, Forest Minister and Sadanand Date, Director General of Police, Maharashtra State as Chief Guest.

Naik said that protection of wildlife is collective responsibility of all agencies and citizens, not the Forest Department alone, and called on all agencies to work in coordination to curb wildlife crime. While Date extend full cooperation to the Forest Department in preventing and investigating wildlife crime, and that Forest–Police coordination at the district level will be strengthened under the Joint Circular.

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