1 lakh saplings to be planted across 58 tiger reserves: Yadav

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav virtually launched plantation drives across all 58 tiger reserves in India on Tuesday.

Under this initiative, each tiger reserve will plant 2,000 saplings of indigenous plant species in degraded areas to promote habitat restoration and strengthen the ecological foundations essential for tiger conservation.

Over a lakh plantations will be carried in all tiger reserves.

Taking part in Global Tiger Day celebrations held at National Zoological Park here, he also launched ‘Plastic-Free Tiger Reserves’ campaign, which is aimed at eliminating the use of all single-use plastics within tiger reserves.

Yadav stated the number of tiger reserves in India has increased from 46 in 2014 to 58 till date. Yadav said 24 countries have agreed to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), an India-led global initiative to protect seven species of big cats. The alliance currently has 12 member nations, including Bhutan, Ethiopia and Cambodia.

The minister called upon the youth to live a life of determination, patience and humility, and contribute back to society through conservation efforts under Mission Life: “Let us not forget, true progress lies in maintaining harmony with nature. The most powerful creature, like the tiger, also teaches us humility. That is the essence of ecological balance.”

The minister also unveiled four important publications, each highlighting a unique aspect of India’s wildlife conservation narrative under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). These are: Report on “Status of Small Cats in the Tiger Landscape of India”, STRIPES Magazine — Global Tiger Day Special Edition, books — “Waterfalls of Tiger Reserves in India” and “Water Bodies inside Tiger Reserves of India”.