Project Tiger is a success in the conservation of forests and biodiversity; now we must focus on consolidating the gains made by it and learn from experience
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger released the 2022 Tiger census report while visiting the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. The Tiger population in the country now has increased by 200 and stood at 3167 Tigers. Tiger is at the apex of the food chain and the presence of Tiger reflects the stability and equilibrium in the ecosystems. In the tropical climate of India, the stability of different ecosystems is essential for sustaining the water and other biological resources which are important for all forms of life. Tigers were not only mercilessly hunted by trigger-happy hunters but 95 % of their habitat was destroyed, fragmented and degraded by the clearing of forests for agriculture and infrastructure purposes globally. At the beginning of 1900 there were 1 lakh Tigers globally and even in India at the time of 1947 around 40,000 Tigers existed but by 1972 when Project Tiger was launched only 1411 Tigers had remained.
Project Tiger in India was launched on 1st April 1973 from Jim Corbett National Park with the help and support of top political leadership. Today with the dedication of state and central forest department officers and support from political leadership, the Indian Tiger population has reached 3167 which constitutes three fourth of the global Tiger population. Among the seven Tiger range countries that are members of the Global Tiger Forum, the achievements of India are spectacular. This story of Tigers bouncing back is the story of grit, struggle and unflinching professionalism of Indian Forest Service officers, Members of State Forest Services, our Rangers, Foresters and Forest Guards, Wildlife NGOs, nature lovers and the dedicated support of people living in and around 32 million ha of forests for their love for the forest and wildlife conservation.
One of the reasons for success is the strategy of mainstreaming the core livelihood sustaining needs of local people in the overall wildlife management plans, especially over 5.28 % of the 998 protected area networks over 75,000 sq km of forests. This strategy of synergy also helped people agree to the relocation of villages from the core areas. One of the high points of the 2023 Tiger census has been the increase of Tiger population in Territorial Forest Divisions of the country which augurs well for wildlife habitat management and also signifies the success of government attempts to provide better economic opportunities in forested regions for the people and reduction in poverty. The state of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand are the major Tiger states where 50% of the Tiger population is found. It signals the skewed nature of Tiger density and flags a key agenda for action for the foresters and the political leadership.
Project Tiger though is a success in the conservation of forests and biodiversity, however, there is a need to focus on those aspects which are necessary to consolidate these gains after reviewing the pro and cons based on our experience and there should be no room for complacency for that if we live on our laurels the situation would turn backwards very fast given the climatic vagaries we need to tackle amid population pressure on our natural resources especially the fragmentation of landscapes and habitats. Further, managing the Tigers for overall ecosystem stability lends support to our food, water, medicinal and nutritional security. If we can secure space for more Tigers with better natural forests and integrated overall landscape management, we will be supporting the sustenance of entire life-supporting resources. It will reduce human-animal conflicts and thus ensure maintaining law and order in rural areas. It will not be an exaggeration to say that at the district and sub-district level, the administration needs to integrate efficient management of forest habitats and ensure climate-resilient development. This will ensure better law and order, reduce crime and lead to the development and thus peaceful administration.
The forest departments of the states and the centre are still handicapped with less equipped policy support, infrastructure framework and finances. The Tiger Protector forest officials and locals are faced with poachers and hunters who are armed with sophisticated weapons. The increase in the Tiger population can also be attributed to the arrest of Sansar Chand the notorious Tiger and wildlife poacher. Though Sariska and Panna are excellent examples of bringing Tigers back it also sounds alarm bells because in many places the Tigers in protected areas like in Sri Venkateswara National Park and a few other Tiger reserves the Tigers have become extinct. The infrastructure in terms of manpower, firearms and latest weapons, modern communication gadgets/ equipment/vehicles and consequent legal backing is lacking in the forest departments.
Then there is a virtually insignificant amount of money spent on natural forests and degraded forests are also increasing in many places as the regeneration of many flagship species is shrinking and as the Tiger density increases it will also lead to conflicts with the people unless the focus is not on overall landscapes monitoring.
According to the data of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), there were 121 Tiger deaths in 2022 and 127 in 2021. Madhya Pradesh in the last 10 years (2012-2022) has recorded the highest number of tiger deaths 270 in total, followed by Maharashtra at 184 and Karnataka at 150.
Though many of the deaths were due to natural reasons like old age and territorial fights, poaching incidents also cannot be ignored. It can be confidently stressed that had the infrastructure of men and material been better perhaps the tiger population today would have crossed 4000. A few things required are increasing the field staff strength across the forest wings for better results because it is one sector that needs increasing rather than cutting the flab; bringing field staff at par with police in-service conditions, creating the modern infrastructure of equipment and weapons including empowering the forest staff under police Acts; infuse synergy/convergence of funds for territorial as well as non-forest landscape management and eco-development activities; issue guidelines on eco-tourism etc.
The Director-General of Forests needs to discuss this with the foresters, researchers and other wildlife lovers to chalk out a future strategy and put it up forcefully before the Prime Minister and his Ministers for professionalizing and up-scaling the sector to achieve better results.
Blurb: If we can secure space for more Tigers with better natural forest and integrated overall landscape management, we will be supporting the sustenance of entire life-supporting resources
(The writer is the former Director-General of ICFRE, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change)
