But the intransigent attitude of the authorities has brought matters to a head. Exasperated villagers held a joint meeting and decided to defy the ban. A violent clash ensued. Today, they can be seen cutting grass in broad daylight. Keeping in view the drought conditions, the administration has verbally allowed them to cut fodder for the time being but that has not satisfied them.
Sanctuary officials are a hapless lot.
They have neither weapons nor uniforms to tackle poachers. Under such circumstances, many birds allegedly end up on the dining tables of influential people. Recently, a big cat strayed into the sanctuary. Till date it is not certain whether it is a panther or some other species. Traditional vocation in the area has been dairy farming, salt mining and agriculture.