A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for ensuring ‘Baaghon mein bahaar hai’, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chalked out an ambitious action plan to be executed in partnership with various Ministries like Power, Mines and Railways for conservation of the big cats whose numbers have doubled to around 3000 in 2018 from 1,400 in 2010.
‘We had a brainstorming session with many stakeholders — the ministry of transport for infrastructure solutions, the ministry of agriculture, the ministries of mines and power to reduce electrocution of animals, the ministries of animal husbandry, health, home affairs and external affairs. We have come out with an action plan,’ NTCA Member Secretary Anup Nayak said at an event held here as part of the Global Tiger Day celebrations.
The plan is in keeping with the observation that tigers need to move between suitable habitats, so although protected areas are fundamental to their survival, connecting landscapes is also essential. These areas often have limited protection, and many development, mining and extraction projects are either proposed or in progress threatening the survival of many species
Nayak said the NTCA will co-develop and co-implement a strategy in collaboration with Ministry of Jal Shakti on how tiger conservation could help in ensuring water security for the country while livestock death due to tiger attack will be discussed with Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Departments of Livestock Development at state level.
A State level mechanism will be developed at a state level to ensure that victims of tiger attack gets ex-gratia payment on time and the amounts are in accordance with needs of the people.
As per the plan, management of crop-raiding herbivores in agriculture fields adjacent to tiger habitats and corridors/interlinking areas will be done in collaboration with department of Agriculture department at state level.
Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo said that ‘Tigers cannot be blamed for man-animal conflict. Villagers venture into forest areas and encroach upon their habitat and cut forests. ‘
Referring to the Prime Minister's analogy that the story of protecting tigers started with ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ (once there was a tiger) and reached ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ (the tiger is alive) and that it should not end there, he said, ‘I am very proud to say that 3,000 zinda hai (3,000 tigers are alive in India).’
In conserving tigers we also conserve some of the world's richest ecosystems, including territories of other endangered flagship species. The large range needed by tigers mean that opportunities for landscape connectivity are being identified and managed for conservation, which also brings benefits for many other species and the provision of ecosystem services, according to a 2017 WWF report, ‘ Beyond the stripes: save tigers, save so much more. ‘
