Infra projects cleared without due consideration for tiger habitats - WII scientists

The future of critical tiger habitats and corridors with potential for high density of wild cat population is bleak as the pressures of development and push for infrastructure threatens to fragment these landscapes, said Prof YV Jhala and Prof Qamar Qureshi, principal investigators of the latest 'Status of Tigers in India' report, while speaking to exclusively to dna. The tiger estimation report, released in January this year brought cheer to wildlife conservationists as it found out that tiger numbers have reached 2,226 recording a 30 per cent rise. The report had highlighted that states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh had recorded a low-density of tigers but had immense potential to increase the density. But, these states are also home to key natural resources and mining projects that threaten to rob them of critical tiger habitats. The report had also stressed that "landscape based management" is crucial to link tiger populations across protected areas.

"The situation is bleak because infrastructure projects are being approved without due consideration for environmental concerns and mitigation efforts. We can surely have infrastructure development around protected areas but the fallout of habitat fragmentation has to be controlled," said professor Yadvendradeva Jhala. Echoing the view of his colleague, professor Qamar Qureshi said, "The government needs to spend more money to safeguard tigers around infrastructure projects such as highways and railways. They need to build underpasses or overpasses for their safe passage."

The scientists also voiced their concerns regarding the approval of a string of linear infrastructure projects, especially road projects that will cut through key tiger corridors that link tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.

"Projects such as NH37 and NH7 are are affecting the linkages between tiger reserves. Widening of highways have caused death of tigers in the past too and the mitigation efforts need to be stepped up," added Qureshi. Prof.Jhala highlighted that along with infrastructure projects, low prey base density in the tiger habitats across Odisha, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh is affecting its tiger populations. "The locals around the tiger habitats of these states obtain their protein by consuming bushmeat, hunting the prey of tigers. These landscapes have rich forests, but the local factors are limiting the density of tigers," said professor Jhala.