The state government has finally approved the tiger conservation plan for the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). The plan will be sent to the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) for approval.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had directed all state governments with Project Tigers to prepare the plan as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The state government had admitted that TATR faced danger from poachers. To overcome the threat, it decided to attach the post of deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Alapalli, to TATR and upgrade him to deputy field director of the reserve.
“This will ensure enhanced protection in the reserve, which is home to over 40 wild cats. We have also recommended appointing 50 new guards and foresters in the reserve,” said a senior forest department officer. As per the tiger conservation plan, the state government has decided to acquire 1,092 sq km area outside the tiger reserve as buffer zone apart from the core area of 625 sq km.
“We have been able to check illegal activities in the reserve by putting restrictions on tourist movements for the past few years. But lack of information network to hunt down poachers had been a serious concern,” the official said.
The conservation plan will ensure speedy relocation of villages inside the tiger reserve and control poaching movements within the reserve. Kishor Rithe, president of Satpuda Foundation, an NGO working for tiger and forest conservation in central India, said the state government had taken a right step to save the critical tiger habitat in the state.
