Chhattisgarh to Increase Tiger Population

• 20 Dec 2022

Why in discussion?

On December 19, 2022, the Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel approved several other proposals including bringing tigers from Madhya Pradesh to increase the number of tigers in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• According to this proposal, tigers brought from Madhya Pradesh will be released to the Sudden Tiger Reserve. Along with this, tigers will be released in Baranwapara sanctuary due to favorable conditions for tigers.
• In the meeting of the Chhattisgarh State Wildlife Board, several proposals were approved for protection and conservation of wild animals, prevention of wild animal-human conflict.
• A proposal to increase the number of tigers in Chhattisgarh was made by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), whose implementation was approved in the meeting. Under whichtigers will be brought from Madhya Pradesh to the Sudden Tiger Reserve.
• Officials said that water sources, pastures have been developed for wild animals in Achanakmar Taigar Reserve, so that the number of herbivorous wild animals can increase.
• In the board meeting, in-principle approval was also given to the proposal to release tigers to restore tigers in Barnawapara Sanctuary in Balodabazar district .
• Tigers were found in Barnawapara Sanctuary till the year 2010 . Under the Tiger Re-Introduction and Tiger Recovery Plan, habitat suitability report will be prepared from renowned wildlife institutes, after which the work of tiger restoration in this sanctuary will be started after getting approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi.
• Officials informed the meeting that the herbivorous wild animals have been brought from various breeding centers and other places and released into the natural habitat of protected areas of the state.
• It was also informed in the meeting that due to the provision of pasture, water etc. for elephants in the forest areas of Chhattisgarh, the incidents of elephant human conflict have been significantly reduced. About 11,314 hectares of pastures have been developed. About 80 thousandhectares of edible grass species have been planted.
• About 64 forest areas of Keshkal and Kanker forest divisions in The Danti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and Idravati-U Danti-Sitanadi-Sunabeda marked by wildlife institute of India Dehradun for construction of raipur-Vishakhap dameconomic corridor proposed under Bharat Mala project Permission was given for the construction of the proposed economic corridor in about 3.5 km highway passing through 7 forest chambers of the Tiger Corridor.
• The proposal will be sent to the National Board for Wildlife. In this way, permission was given to construct a new bridge over chintavagu river on Bhopalpattam to Jagdalpur National Highway. The proposal will also be sent to the National Board for Wildlife for approval. The construction of this new bridge and approach road falls under the buffer zone of 1.177 hectarearea of The IndiraVati Tiger Reserve.
• The meeting also approved proposals for laying optical fibre cables and installing mobile towers to facilitate better communication in forest areas. This will strengthen the forest animal protection system. At the same time, pds system, paddy purchase, old age pension, banking and online education will be easier in the villages of forest areas.
• In the meeting, permission was also given for artificial insemination in forest buffaloes. According to the proposal, semen extraction will be carried out under the supervision of experts from Wildlife Trust of India and LaCONES, CCMB Hyderabad and veterinarians posted in the Forest Department and this will be used for artificial insemination of female forest buffaloes.