Centre set to implement project to protect tigers outside reserves

The Centre is all set to implement the project titled ‘Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves’ announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year. It is learnt that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently held a meeting with senior forest officials to chart a plan on curbing poaching of tigers and enhance coordination with Nepal and Bhutan on the conservation of big cats in areas outside tiger reserves.

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More than 1,000 tigers that amount to 30 per cent of their total population in India stay outside reserves hence do not enjoy the same level of protection. In tiger reserves, there is an enhanced protection mechanism for the conservation of tigers.

Tigers, which are outside reserves, usually come in close contact with humans in adjoining villages. The government’s aim is to bring down the instances of man-animal conflict. Between 2020 and 2024, 378 human lives were lost due to tiger conflicts.

According to the minutes of the meeting of the NTCA, JDU MP and member of NTCA, Sanjay Kumar Jha said that the authorities should take note of the recent poaching incidents of tigers and formulate effective control and prevention strategies.

Vivek Pandey, additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), Uttarakhand, said that the state comprises several forest divisions which were as good as tiger reserves where the scheme ‘Tiger Outside Tiger Reserves’ would be beneficial.

He also stressed the requirement of increasing the budgetary allocation under Project Tiger in order to address the growing challenges besides existing needs.

The Director of Wildlife Preservation, Anjan Mohanty, said, “Human-tiger conflict is an emerging challenge for tiger reserve managers in view of the successes of Project Tiger wherein their number is going up. A detailed action plan should be prepared for Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves in order to implement it effectively.”

A senior official who was part of the meeting explained,“Tiger territories span across the Himalayan belt of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim. Coordination is required with Nepal and Bhutan in respect of tiger conservation and the implementation of the Monitoring System for Tigers — Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (M-STrIPES) in areas outside tiger reserves. Poaching of tigers and illegal trafficking of tiger organ parts in these areas is common. So we have been holding dialogues with Nepal and Bhutan on the protection of tigers but we need to strengthen it more.”

The Centre has approved Rs 176.45 crore until 2026-27 for the project’s implementation.