Tiger reserves of India

Logo of National Tiger Conservation Authority

There are 50[1] tiger reserves in India[2] which are governed by Project Tiger which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). India is home to 70 percent of tigers in the world. In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to 1,706 in 2011 and 2,226 in 2014.[3] According to latest statement by Environment Minister, the count had gone up to 2500 in 2016.

Goals

53,547.5 km2 (20,674.8 sq mi) of declared reserves are operated by state forestry departments "to ensure maintenance of viable populations of the conservation dependent Bengal tigers in India. The tigers are maintained for their scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time areas of biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people."[4]

Population assessment

By the National Tiger Conservation Authority, estimated only 2,226 adult tigers in existence in India.[5] The 2010 National Tiger Assessment estimated the total population of tigers in India as 1,706. As per Ministry of Environment and Forests, the tiger population in India stood at 2,226 in 2014,[6] with an increase of 30.5% since the 2010 estimate. This exhaustive study indicated that better protected tiger source sites, especially tiger reserves, have maintained viable populations. However, the area occupied by tigers outside protected areas has decreased considerably. This demonstrates the need for corridors for tigers to move between source sites. The existing tiger reserves represent around one-third of India's high density forest area.[7] More tigers were killed in the first quarter of 2016, than in the entire previous year. This significant revelation comes at a time when the tiger census numbers are disputed by the scientific community.

In 2010-11, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) undertook an independent management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) of the 44 tiger reserves in the country. The reserves were categorized into four major categories. Karnataka has the highest number of tigers in the age group of 1.5 years with more 408 big cats. Other states with significant populations included Uttarakhand (340), Madhya Pradesh (308), Tamil Nadu (229), Maharashtra (190), Assam (167), Kerala (136) and Uttar Pradesh (117).[8]

List of Tiger reserves in India

Source:[2]

S.No. Tiger Reserve State Core Area(km2) Buffer Area(km2) Total Area (km2)
1 Bandipur Karnataka 872 584 1,456
2 Jim Corbett Uttarakhand 822 466 1,288
3 Kanha Madhya Pradesh 917 1,134 2,052
4 Manas Assam 840 2,311 3,151
5 Melghat Maharashtra 1,500 1,268 2,769
6 Palamau Jharkhand 414 716 1,130
7 Ranthambore Rajasthan 1,113 298 1,411
8 Similipal Odisha 1,195 1,555 2,750
9 Sunderbans West Bengal 1,700 885 2,585
10 Periyar Kerala 881 44 925
11 Sariska Rajasthan 881 332 1,213
12 Buxa West Bengal 391 367 758
13 Indravati Chhattisgarh 1,258 1,541 2,799
14 Namdapha Arunachal Pradesh 1,808 245 2,053
15 Dudhwa Uttar Pradesh 1,094 1,108 2,202
16 Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tamil Nadu 895 707 1,602
17 Valmiki Bihar 598 301 899
18 Pench Madhya Pradesh 411 768 1,180
19 Tadoba Maharashtra 626 1,102 1,728
20 Bandhavgarh Madhya Pradesh 717 820 1,598
21 Panna Madhya Pradesh 576 1,022 1,579
22 Dampa Mizoram 500 488 988
23 Bhadra Karnataka 492 572 1,064
24 Pakhui Arunachal Pradesh 683 515 1,198
26 Nameri Assam 200 144 344
27 Satpura Madhya Pradesh 1,339 794 2,133
28 Anamalai Tamil Nadu 959 521 1,480
29 Udanti-Sitanadi Chhattisgarh 851 991 1,843
30 Satkosia Odisha 524 440 964
31 Kaziranga Assam 626 548 1,174
32 Achanakmar Chhattisgarh 626 288 914
33 Kali Karnataka 815 283 1,098
34 Sanjay-Dubri Madhya Pradesh 813 862 1,675
35 Mudumalai Tamil Nadu 321 368 689
36 Nagarahole Karnataka 643 562 1,206
37 Parambikulam Kerala 391 253 644
38 Sahyadri Maharashtra 600 565 1,166
39 Biligiriranga Karnataka 359 216 575
40 Kawal Telangana 893 1,126 2,019
41 Sathyamangalam Tamil Nadu 793 615 1,408
42 Mukandra Hills Rajasthan 417 343 760
43 Nawegaon-Nagzira Maharashtra 654 1241 1895
44 Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Andhra Pradesh 2,596 701 3,296
45 Amrabad Telangana 2,166 445 2,611
46 Pilibhit Uttar Pradesh 603 127 730
47 Bor Maharashtra 138 678 816
48 Rajaji Uttarakhand 820 256 1,075
49 Orang Assam 79 413 492
50 Kamlang Arunachal Pradesh 671 112 783
Total 40340.12 30686.98 71027.10

Future

In addition to existing reserves, The in-principle approval has been accorded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for the creation of four new tiger reserves, and the sites are: Ratapani Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), Sunabeda Tiger Reserve (Odisha), and Guru Ghasidas (Chhattisgarh). Final approval has been accorded to Kudremukh National Park (Karnataka) for declaring as tiger reserves by States. The State Governments have been advised to send proposals for declaring the following areas as tiger reserves: (i) Suhelwa[9] (Uttar Pradesh), (ii) Mhadei Sanctuary (Goa), (iii) Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary / Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary / Varushanadu Valley (Tamil Nadu), (iv) Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh) and (v) Cauvery-MM Hills (Karnataka).[10]

Economic Valuation

An economic valuation of six tiger reserves (Corbett, Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore, Sundarbans) concluded "that the monetary values of flow benefits emanating from selected tiger reserves range from 8.3 to 17.6 billion annually. In terms of unit area, this translates into 50,000 to 190,000 per hectare per year. In addition, selected tiger reserves protect and conserve stock valued in the range of 22 to 656 billion".[11]

References

  1. ↑ http://projecttiger.nic.in/content/109_1_ListofTigerReservesCoreBufferAreas.aspx
  2. 1 2 "Core buffer areas". Government of India. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "India's tiger population sees 30% increase". BBC. 20 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Project Tiger" (PDF). Delhi: Government of India. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun (2008). Y.V. Jhala; R. Gopal; Q. Qureshi, eds. Status of the Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India (PDF). TR 08/001. New Delhi: National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India. p. 151.
  6. ↑ "Population Of Big Cats". Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Tiger Estimate in India" (PDF). Public Information Brochure. New Delhi: Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOI. 28 March 2011. p. 9. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "India's tiger population rises". Deccan Chronicle. 15 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Suhelwa Sanctuary". UP Tourism. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  10. ↑ http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/In-principle-approval-given-to-4-new-tiger-reserves-Government/articleshow/51211020.cms
  11. ↑ (PDF) http://www.iifm.ac.in/sites/default/files/Newspdf/IIFM-NTCA-REPORT.compressed-min.pdf. Retrieved 13 August 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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