Cong slams Centre’s plan to alter Sariska tiger reserve boundary

The Congress on Sunday condemned the Central and Rajasthan governments regarding the state government’s proposal to redraw the boundaries of the critical tiger habitat and buffer areas of the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The proposal, which was approved at Rajasthan’s Wildlife Board meeting, will be presented to the Standing Committee for the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for further approval.

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The Congress said the alteration of the boundaries will reactivate over 50 mining operations, saying the move would be “ecologically devastating”.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Sariska Tiger Reserve near Alwar is an outstanding example of revival of tigers and the move will break the critical tiger habitat.

“Now the boundary of the tiger reserve is about to get redrawn. This will enable 50 mining companies which have been closed down to resume operations. Getting the full involvement of local communities in the sustainable management of tiger reserves is essential and goes without saying. But this particular move to reopen the 50 mines (marble, dolomite, limestone, and masonic stone) will adversely impact the tiger habitat, a habitat that has been regenerated in the face of great odds,” Ramesh said.

He said compensating for the loss in a buffer area of a reserve is a solution on paper that may assuage the government’s conscience but will be ecologically devastating, especially for a tiger population that is insular to begin with.

“The tiger population at Sariska had been reduced to exactly zero by December 2004 thanks to an hyper-active poaching network. It created a nation-wide shock and led to the creation of the Tiger Task Force in April 2005 and to a meeting of Dr Manmohan Singh (former Prime Minister) with chief wildlife wardens of different states at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in May 2005,”

Rajasthan Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma is the MLA from Alwar, while Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was elected from the Alwar Lok Sabha constituency.

“After the relocation efforts at Sariska, which faced skepticism from some experts, the tiger count has now reached a historic high of 48. The Union Environment Minister is from Alwar. So is the Environment Minister of Rajasthan. Surely, this double engine cannot be supporting such corridor fragmentation to benefit the mine owners. Ultimately, the Supreme Court will have to put its foot down. Its own directives are being violated,” he said.