Govt seeks proposals for five more tiger reserves

Government has accorded "in principle" approval for creation of two new tiger reserves in the country and has sought proposals from states for giving the status to five more protected areas, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, he said final approval has been accorded to three others for declaring them as tiger reserves.
"In Principle approval has been accorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for create of two new tiger reserves - Ratapani (MP) and Sunabeda (Odisha)," Javadekar said.
"Final approval has been accorded to Bor (Maharashtra), Kudremukh (Karnataka) and Rajaji (Uttarakhand) for declaring as tiger reserves," he said.

He said that the state governments have been advised to send proposals for declaring five other areas as tiger reserves.
The state governments were advised to send proposals on Suhelwa (UP), Guru Ghasidas National Park (Chattissgarh), Mhadei Sanctuary (GOA), Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel/Megamalai Wildlife Sactuaries/Varushanadu Valley (Tamil Nadu) and Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh).

Giving details of tiger deaths till August 6 this year, the minister said inside tiger reserves, a total of 24 cases were under scrutiny. There were zero deaths due to poaching including seizure and four deaths due to natural and other causes.
Similarly, in terms of tiger deaths outside tiger reserves, there were 13 cases which were under scrutiny, three cases of poaching and other causes and zero cases of natural or other causes.

The recent initiatives taken up by the government include implementing MoU with tiger states, special crack teams sent to tiger reserves affected by Left Wing Affected extremism, modernisation of infrastructure and field protection and launching "Monitoring system for Tiger Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPS) and others.