Celebrate 50 years of Project Tiger but No occasion
for complacency
By: (VK Bahuguna)
On 9th April 2023 the Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on the occasion of completion of 50 years of Project Tiger released the 2022
Tiger census report while visiting the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. The
Tiger population in the country now has increased by 200 and stood at 3167
Tigers. Tiger is at the apex of the ecosystems food chain and presence of Tiger
reflects the stability and equilibrium in the ecosystems. In tropical climate
of India the stability of different ecosystems is essential for sustaining the
water and other biological resources which are important for all form of life.
Tigers were not only mercilessly hunted by trigger happy hunters but 95 % of
their habitat was destroyed, fragmented and degraded by clearing of forests for
agriculture and infrastructure purposes globally. At the beginning of 1900
there were 1 lakh Tigers globally and even in India at the time of 1947 around
40,000 Tigers existed but by 1972 when the Project tiger was launched only 1411
Tigers had remained.
Project Tiger in India was launched on 1st April
1973 from Jim Corbett National Park with the help and support of top political
leadership. Today with the dedication of state and central forest department
officers and support from political leadership now Indian Tiger population had
reached 3167 which constitutes three fourth of the global Tiger population. Among
the seven Tiger range countries who are member of Global Tiger Forum the
achievements of India are spectacular. This story of Tigers bouncing back is
the story of grit, struggle and unflinching professionalism of Indian Forest
service officers, Members of State Forest Services, our Rangers, Foresters and
Forest Guards, Wildlife NGOs, nature lovers and the dedicated support of
peoples living in and around 32 million ha of forests for their love for the forest
and wildlife conservation. One of the reasons for success is the strategy of
mainstreaming the core livelihood sustaining needs of local people in the
overall wildlife management plans especially over 5.28 % of the 998 protected
area networks over 75,000 sq kms of forests. This strategy of synergy also
helped in people agreeing for the relocation of villages from the core areas. One
of the high point of 2023 Tiger census has been the increase of Tiger
population in Territorial Forest Divisions of the country which augur well for
the wildlife habitat management and it also signify the success of government
attempts to provide better economic opportunities in forested regions for the
people and reduction in poverty. The state of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and
Uttarakhand are the major Tiger states where 50% of the Tiger population is
found. It signals the skewed nature of Tiger density and flags a key agenda for
action for the foresters and the political leadership.
The Project Tiger though is a success of conservation of
forest and bio-diversity, however, there is need to focus on those aspects
which are necessary to consolidate these gains after reviewing the pro and cons
based on our experience and there should be no room for complacency for that if
we live on our laurels the situation would turn backward very fast in view of
the climatic vagaries we need to tackle in the midst of population pressure on
our natural resources specially the fragmentation of landscapes and habitats.
Further, managing the Tigers for over all ecosystem stability lends support to
our food, water, medicinal and nutritional security. If we can secure space for
more Tigers with better natural forest and integrated overall landscape management,
we will be supporting the sustenance of entire life supporting resources. It
will reduce human-animal conflicts and thus ensuring maintaining law and order
in the rural areas. It will not be an exaggeration to say that at district and
sub-district level the administration need to integrate efficient management of
forest habitats and ensure climate resilient development. This will ensure
better law and order, reduce crime and lead to development and thus peaceful
administration.
Pic: Prime Minister releasing the Tiger census report on 9th
April 2023 at Bandipur National Park
The forest departments of the states and the centre are still
handicapped with less equipped policy support, infrastructure framework and
finances. The Tiger protector forest officials and locals are faced with
poachers and hunters who are armed with sophisticated weapons. The increase in
Tiger population can also be attributed to arrest of Sansar Chand the notorious
Tiger and wildlife poacher. Though Sariska and Panna are excellent examples of
bringing Tigers back but it also sound alarm bells because at many places the
Tigers in protected areas like in Sri Venkateswara National Park and in few
other Tiger reserves the Tigers have become extinct. The infrastructure in
terms of man power, fire arms and latest weapons, modern communication
gadgets/equipments/vehicles and consequent legal backing is awfully lacking in
the forest departments. Then there is virtually insignificant amount of money
spent on natural forests and degraded forests are also increasing in many
places as regeneration of many flagship species is shrinking and as the Tiger
density increases it will also lead to conflicts with the people unless the
focus is not on over all landscapes monitoring. According to the data of National Tiger
Conservation Authority (NTCA) there were 121 Tiger deaths during 2022 and 127
in 2021. Madhya Pradesh in the last 10 years
(2012-2022) has recorded the highest number of tiger deaths 270 in total,
followed by Maharashtra at 184 and Karnataka at 150. Though many of the deaths were due to natural reasons like
old age and territorial fights but poaching incidents also cannot be ignored.
It can be confidently stressed that had the infrastructure of men and material
been better perhaps the Tigers population today would have crossed 4000. A few
things required are increasing the field staff strength across the forest wings
for better results because it is one sector which needs increasing rather than
cutting the flab; bringing field staff at par with police in service
conditions, create modern infrastructure of equipments and weapons including
empowering the forest staff under police Acts; infuse synergy/convergence of
funds for territorial as well as non-forest landscape management and
eco-development activities; issue guidelines on eco-tourism etc.
The Director- General of Forests needs to discuss this among
the foresters, researchers and other wildlife lover to chalk out future
strategy and put it up forcefully before the Prime Minister and his Ministers for
professionalizing and up scaling the sector to achieve better results. (1062
words)
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