Centre seeks info from states to monitor tiger reserves

As part of an initiative to centrally monitor tiger reserves in the country, the Central government has written to states asking them to compile information on all 50 reserves.

As part of an initiative to centrally monitor tiger reserves in the country, the Central government has written to states asking them to compile information on all 50 reserves, officials familiar with developments said on Wednesday.

The Union environment ministry is compiling a database on a management information system (MIS) with the information, national tiger conservation authority (NTCA) officials said.

The Union environment ministry is compiling a database on a management information system (MIS) with the information, national tiger conservation authority (NTCA) officials said. The information sought includes relocation of villages from core area, digitisation of reserve boundaries; and status of forest staff.

The MIS is expected to be implemented this year officials said and interactions with tiger reserves have already started.

India now has 2,967 tigers, or 7 out of every 10 big cats in the wild in the world, according to the All India Tiger Estimation Results released in 2019. The number reflects a 33% increase over 2014 when there were 2,226 tigers in the country. That number itself was an improvement over 2010 (1,706) and 2006 (1,411).

During the launch of the ‘India State of Forest Report, 2021’ on January 13, environment minister Bhupender Yadav had said the Centre has written to all principal chief conservators of forests about collating and submitting the information related to their divisions on forests, biodiversity, human animal conflict and others.

He also said that the Centre will take up the second phase of ‘Green India Mission’, which is focused on increasing forest cover and that India will also have to meet its nationally determined contribution (under Paris Agreement) of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

“We want to improve the quality of our forests and increase green cover with community participation,” he had said.

“The MIS will involve digitising the boundary of reserves; status of staff both contractual and permanent; arms and ammunition; anti-poaching activities; information on tiger mortality; forest cover and voluntary relocation of villages and people,” said a senior NTCA official familiar with the process. “Expenditure on various schemes and programmes will also be monitored,” he added, requesting anonymity.

“As far as relocation of villages and people from core area is concerned, it is voluntary but it is also mandated in the wildlife protection act that core tiger reserve area should be inviolate. The status of relocation will also be transparently documented through MIS,” the official said.

The wildlife protection act states that the core or critical tiger habitat areas of national parks and sanctuaries are required to be kept inviolate for the purposes of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or such other forest dwellers, and notified as such by the state government in consultation with an expert committee constituted for the purpose.

The state government after obtaining the consent of scheduled tribes and other forest dwellers inhabiting the area and in consultation with an independent ecological and social scientist familiar with the area has concluded that impact of people on wildlife in the core area is irreversible and reasonable coexistence is not possible, can recommend relocation of people from a tiger area under Project Tiger.

According to NTCA’s protocol for voluntary village relocation from critical tiger habitats, a minimum inviolate area of 800-1200sq.km is required for a viable population of tiger (20 breeding tigresses).

The environment ministry had come out with a consultation paper in October last year on amending the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, to bring significant changes to forest governance, including facilitating private plantations for harvesting. It also said that the ministry is considering introducing a provision in the forest conservation act to keep certain pristine forests “showcasing rich ecological values” intact for a specific period.

“The environment minister has emphasized on the need for community participation in forest conservation. This idea can also be extended to the manner in which the information system on tiger reserves is being put together by the ministry. Both recognition of rights in tiger reserves and design of what is “voluntary” in a relocation process continues to be a highly contentious issue. Therefore, the management system should not only rely on government data to ascertain the nature and extent of compliance with the legal procedures. The process can gain significantly by on ground research and experiences that can be corroborated with government data,” said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher at Centre for Policy Research.