On January 05, 2022, the 19th Meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was held under the chairmanship of the Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.
- Currently, there are 51 Tiger Reserves in India and more than 35 rivers originate from those areas which are crucial for water security.
- As per the statement of the environment minister, Tiger continues to be an endangered species and the tiger population need to be managed actively.
Highlights of Key Initiatives Launched:
a.Action plan for reintroduction of cheetah in India
i.The environment minister launched an action plan for the reintroduction, protection and conservation of 7 major big cats in India including the cheetah, which has become extinct in independent India.
ii.Under the action plan, 50 cheetah’s will be introduced in the next 5 years in various parks.
iii.As per the action plan, a cohort of around 10-12 young cheetahs that are ideal for reintroduction is planned to be imported from Namibia or South Africa as a founder stock during the first year.
b.India for Tigers: A Rally on Wheels:
i.Bhupender Yadav stated about the success of the ‘India for Tigers: A Rally on Wheels’, which was organized under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
ii.Background:
- In October 2021, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav flagged off ‘India for Tigers – A Rally on Wheels’, which was organised by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), marking wildlife week.
- The programme was carried on in 51 tiger reserves across 18 states that cover a distance of 7,500 km in 7 days.
c.Water Atlas:
i.Bhupender Yadav also released a Water Atlas, mapping all the water bodies in the tiger bearing areas of India.
ii.Landscape wise information has been outlined in the water atlas which includes, the Shivalik Hills and Gangetic plain landscape, Central Indian Landscape and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats landscape, North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra flood plains and Sundarbans.
-14 Tiger Reserves have been accredited under CA|TS
Bhupender Yadav announced that 14 Tiger reserves across India have received accreditation of the global Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS). NTCA is working on getting other Tiger Reserves evaluated for CA|TS accreditation.
Key Points
i.The 14 accredited tiger reserves are located in Assam (3), Madhya Pradesh (3), Tamil Nadu (2) Maharashtra (1), Bihar (1), Uttar Pradesh (1), West Bengal (1), Kerala (1), and Karnataka (1). Click here to know more
ii.CA|TS is a globally accepted conservation tool launched in 2013, which sets best practices and standards to manage tigers and encourages assessments to benchmark progress.
iii.Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and WWF India are the two implementing partners of the NTCA for CA|TS assessment in India.
Note – The environment minister also noted the plan for the formation of six committees, which will visit two tiger reserves each and study various aspects and problems to help in formulating better policy.
The 5th cycle of All India Tiger Estimation which is currently underway was expected to support new policy decision making.
Participants: Members of Parliaments such as Diya Kumari, Rajeev Pratap Ruddy, and Harshvardhan Singh Dungarpur, Secretary Leena Nadan and DGF (Director-General of Forests) Chandra Prakash Goyal, also have participated in the meeting.
Note- India is home to 70% of the tiger population globally. The last tiger census of 2018 showed a rise in the tiger population. India achieved the target of doubling of tiger population 4 years ahead of schedule of the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation.
Recent Related News:
The 11th Technical Committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved the proposal of the government of Chhattisgarh to declare the combined areas of the Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary and the Guru Ghasidas National Park as the 4th Tiger reserve of Chhattisgarh.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC):
Union Minister – Bhupender Yadav (Constituency – Rajya Sabha Rajasthan)
Minister of State – Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Constituency – Buxar, Bihar)
