According to the summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves in India in 2022, by the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA), the Periyar Tiger Reserve(TR) in Kerala has reserve topped the list of best-managed tiger reserves in India with a Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) score of 94.38%.
- Periyar TR is followed by the Satpura TR (Madhya Pradesh) and Bandipur TR (Karnataka) with an MEE score of 93.18% and Nagarhole TR with 92.42%.
The report was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger programme, at Mysuru, Karnataka.
About MEE Score:
i.MEE is the most significant approach to enhance the management perspectives of reserves and their associated landscape connectivity,
- As per the rating system, 90% and above are considered excellent, 75-89% are Very Good, 60-74% are Good and 50-59% are Fair.
ii.The evaluation was based on 32 parameters such as status of tiger conservation plan, adequacy of personnel and other resources, availability of manpower resources trained in wildlife conservation, and population trend of threatened species.
iii.This supports to prepare a mechanism for preserving the forest system by using local resources.
Rating of Tiger Reserves:
i.The 5th cycle of MEE of TR in India in 2022 indicates an overall increase of 8% in mean MEE Score (77.92%) (ranging between 50% to 94%) for 51 Tiger Reserves, in comparison to the fourth cycle of MEE TR assessment 2018 (70%).
ii.A total of 12 Tiger Reserves have achieved ‘Excellent’ category, followed by 20 Tiger Reserves in ‘Very Good’ category, 14 Tiger Reserves in ‘Good’ category and 5 Tiger Reserves in ‘Fair’ category.
iii.In the 5th cycle of the assessment, none of the tiger reserves in India were placed in the poor category.
Note: Among the 53 Tiger Reserves, Ramgarh Vishdhari and Ranipur Tiger Reserves, the newly declared tiger reserves are not included in the 5th cycle of MEE.
12 Tiger Reserves under Excellent Category:
| Tiger Reserves | State | TR notification year | MEE Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Periyar | Kerala | 2007 | 94.38 |
| Satpura | Madhya Pradesh | 2007 | 93.18 |
| Bandipur | Karnataka | 2007 | 93.18 |
| Nagarhole | Karnataka | 2007 | 92.42 |
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh | 2007 | 91.67 |
| Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT Hills) | Karnataka | 2007 | 91.67 |
| Anamalai | Tamil Nadu | 2007 | 91.67 |
| Pench (MH) | Madhya Pradesh | 2007 | 90.91 |
| Bhadra | Karnataka | 2007 | 90.91 |
| Kali (Dandeli-Anshi) | Karnataka | 2007 | 90.30 |
| Similipal | Odisha | 2007 | 90.15 |
| Mudumalai | Tamil Nadu | 2007 | 90.15 |
Key Points:
i.Since 2006, The government of India has been using MEE to assess the Tiger Reserves across India.
ii.Currently, India has 998 Protected Areas covering an area of 1,73,629 sq km (around 5.28% of India’s geographical area).
iii.The protected areas of India includes, 106 National Parks, 567 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 105 Conservation Reserves and 220 Community Reserves.
iv.Among these, 53 Tiger Reserves have been notified, which serve as an additional layer of protection around the Protected areas.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA):
NTCA has been constituted under section 38 L (1) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
NTCA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
Chairperson– Bhupender Yadav (Union Minister for MoEF&CC)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
