BI-MONTHLY OUTREACH JOURNAL OF NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY s t rGOVERNMENTi OF INDIAp e s Volume 1 Issue 1 Nov-Dec 2009 INITIATIVES LANDMARKS STRATEGIES CHALLENGES ACHIEVEMENTS PERSPECTIVES Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex Area 5177 sq km Tigers 297 (259-335) Uttarakhand — Corbett (822 sq km) Total tiger Area 1901 sq km Tiger number 178 (161-195) Uttar Pradesh — Dudhwa (1133.8 sq km after Katerniaghat extension) Total tiger Area 2766 sq km Tiger number 109 (91-127) Bihar — Valmiki (840 sq km) Total tiger Area 510 sq km Tiger number 10 (7-13) Central Indian and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex Area 48610 sq km Tigers 601 (486-718) Andhra Pradesh — Nagarjunasagar (2527 sq km) Total tiger Area 14126 sq km Tiger number 95 (84-107) Chhattisgarh — Indrawati (1258.4 sq km), Achanakamar (626.2 sq km), Udanti-Sitanadi (851.1 sq km) Total tiger Area 3609 sq km Tiger number 26 (23-28) Madhya Pradesh — Pench (411.3 sq km), Kanha (917.4 sq km), Satpura (1339.3 sq km), Bandhavgarh (716.9 sq km), Panna (576.1 sq km), Sanjay Dubri (831.3 sq km) Total tiger Area 15614 sq km Tiger number 300 (236-364) Maharashtra — Pench (257.3 sq km), Melhgat (1500.5 sq km), Tadoba-Andhari (625.8 sq km) Total tiger Area 4273 sq km Tiger number 103 (76-131) Orissa — Simlipal (1194.8 sq km), Satkosia (523.6 sq km) Total tiger Area 9144 sq km Tiger number 45 (37-53) Rajasthan — Sariska (681.1 sq km), Ranthambhore (1113.7 sq km) Total tiger Area 356 sq km Tiger number 32 (30-35) Jharkhanda — Palamau (414.1 sq km) Total tiger area 1488 sq km, tiger number Not Assessed Western Ghats Landscape Complex Area 34094 sq km Tigers 412 (336-487) Karnataka — Bhadra (492.5 sq km), Bandipur (872.2 sq km), Dandeli-Anshi (814.9 sq km), Nagarhole (643.4 sq km) Total tiger Area 18715 sq km Tiger number 290 (241-339) Kerala — Periyar (881 sq km), Parambikulam (235 sq km) Total tiger Area 6168 sq km Tiger number 46 (39-53) Tamil Nadu — Kalakad Mundanthurai (895 sq km), Anamalai (958 sq km), Mudumalai (321 sq km) Total tiger Area 9211 sq km Tiger number 76 (56-95) North East Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains Area 4230 sq km Tigers 100 (84-118) Assam — Manas (840 sq km), Nameri (200 sq km), Kaziranga (625.8 sq km) Total tiger Area 1164 sq km Tiger number 70 (60-80) Arunachal Pradesh — Namdapha (1807.8 sq km), Pakke (683.5 sq km) Total tiger Area 1685 sq km Tiger number 14 (12-18) Mizoram — Dampha (500 sq km) Total tiger Area 785 sq km Tiger number 6 (4-8) Northern West Bengal — Buxa (390.6 sq km) Total tiger Area 596 sq km Tiger number 10 (8-12) Sunderbans (WB) Area 1699.6 sq km Tiger number Not Assessed INDIA Tiger Area 93,697 sq km Reserve Area 32050 sq km Tiger Population 1411 (1165-1657) Population estimates are based on possible density of tiger occupied landscape in the area, not assessed by double sampling. a Data was not amenable to population estimation of tiger. However, available information about the landscape indicates low densities of tiger in the area ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 per 100 sq km. Expenditure during IX plan Rs 73.18 crore PROJECTExpenditure TIGER during X plan Rs 161.92 crore Allocation during XI plan Rs 650 crore Volume 1 Thoughts Focus Issue 1 Jairam A scientific EDITOR Nov-Dec Ramesh Strategy protocol for Dr Rajesh Gopal 2009 Pg 5 Conservation effective Member-Secretary demands monitoring NTCA proper buffer Pg14 management CONTENT Pg12 COORDINATOR Inder MS Kathuria Landmarks The most FEEDBACK Achievements ambitious Initiatives Annexe No 5 conservation Project Tiger Three years Bikaner House project ever over three of NTCA Shahjahan Road decades Pg 6 First Person Pg 16 New Delhi P11 Fateh Singh [email protected] Rathore P18 Cover photo Dharm Khandal BI-MONTHLY OUTREACH JOURNAL OF NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY s t rGOVERNMENTi OF INDIAp e s n o t e f r o m t h e e d i t o r INDIA is one of the thirteen tional illegal market demand, ecologically tiger range countries having unsustainable land uses in tiger land- the maximum number of scapes, loss of connectivity between wild tigers. Launched in the source areas and ever increasing demand early Seventies, Project Tiger on our forests continue to challenge the has put the endangered tiger efforts to save the tiger. on a definite path of recovery. As far as the While our attempts to control poach- scale of implementation and the diverse ing and ensure a secure, inviolate home habitats under its coverage are concerned, for tigers is a priority, an equally daunt- the project has no parallel in the contem- ing task is to factor in the interests of the porary world. tiger in different sectors where tiger con- The recent All India Tiger Estimation servation is not the goal. using the refined methodology has high- Tiger conservation is a collective lighted that the source populations of tiger are present responsibility between the Centre, states and civil soci- in designated tiger reserves. These require active hand- ety institutions. We look forward to the active support holding through managerial interventions. The status of one and all for saving our wild tigers. of tiger in other areas is poor to very poor, which is cause for great concern. Dr Rajesh Gopal Loss of habitat, poaching fostered by an ugly interna- Member-Secretary, NTCA RECENT INITIATIVES NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY Implementing a tripartite MOU with tiger states, linked to fund flows for effective implementation of tiger conservation initiatives Revising Special Tiger Protection Force norms to involve local people like Van Gujjars in field protection Rapid assessment of tiger reserves done (12 good, 9 satisfactory and 16 poor) Special crack teams sent to tiger reserves affected by left wing extremism and low population status of tiger and its prey All India meeting of field directors convened on 25 and 26 July, 2009 under the chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests for reviewing the status of field protection and related issues in tiger reserves Chief Ministers of tiger states addressed at the level of the Minister for Environment and Forests on urgent issues, implementation of tripartite MOU, creation of Tiger Conservation Foundation, stepping up protection etc Chief Ministers of states having tiger reserves affected by left wing extremism and low population status of tiger and its prey addressed for taking special initiatives Field visits to Bhadra, Corbett (photo on facing page), Sariska and Ranthambhore made by the Minister for Environment and Forests to review the initiatives and problems relating to tiger conservation Steps taken for modernising infrastructure and field protection Advisory issued for involvement of non-governmen- tal experts in the forthcoming all India tiger estimation Core Committee involving outside experts constituted for overseeing the forthcoming all India tiger estimation Report of Special Investigation Team, constituted for looking into the local extinction of tigers in the Panna Tiger Reserve, sent to Madhya Pradesh for action Issue of tiger farming and trafficking of tiger body parts discussed at the level of Minister for Environment and Forests with the Chinese authorities Initiatives taken for improving the field delivery through capacity building of field officials Decision taken to host the World Tiger Summit in October-November, 2010 4 | Nov-Dec 2009 | STRIPES ...Undoubtedly, Indira Gandhi was a visionary when it came to environmental issues. The extensive legislation that is in place today on environment and forests is almost entirely because of her personal initiatives and leadership. Project Tiger was launched in April 1973. If India has substantial forests remaining today, it is entirely because of the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 that she spearheaded... Jairam Ramesh ‘Minister of State (Independent charge) for Environment and’ Forests Jairam Ramesh during a field visit to Corbett Tiger Reserve in 2009 STRIPES | Nov-Dec 2009 | 5 PROJECT TIGER milestones The world’s most ambitious conservation project ever DMIRED and feared alike across the world, the tiger A has captured the imagina- tion of millions down the cen- turies. In India, though wor- shipped in temples, the tiger has been the most prized trophy for the royalty and the powerful. To the ‘sportsman’ of yore, the tiger stood for India's wilderness. The awe and the beastly mystery sur- rounding this ‘phantom of the forest’ provided adventure, thrill RAJASTHAN FOREST DEPT and, of course, led to amazing shikar exploits. An estimate placed the popula- tion of tigers in India at the turn of the century at 40,000. The first-ever All India Tiger Census in 1972, however, revealed that only 1,827 survived. Even if the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during a field visit to Rajasthan’s earlier figure was an exaggera- Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in 2005 tion, the 1972 figure projected a dismal picture. Post-Independence, reclaimed for agriculture, direct- There was more than hunting ing rural pressure of small tim- behind the tiger's sinking for- rural pressure of small ber, firewood and grazing to hith- tune. Mounting demographic timber, firewood and erto sparingly utilised reserved pressure gathering momentum grazing was directed forests. Hunting pressures both towards the latter part of the last at reserved forests. from villages and cities, legal and century, led to progressive diver- illegal, went up, depleting the sion of wilderness to agriculture. Hunting pressures prey base of the tiger. A perverse lust for shikar among from villages and As prey became scarce, the car- cities, legal and illegal, nivores turned to killing cattle.