The International Tiger Day has brought happiness this year in Madhya Pradesh. Figures in the first phase of the All India Tiger Assessment 2018 indicate towards a handsome increase in the number of tigers.
In the assessment of the first phase of the year 2014, the presence of 308 tigers was found in the state's 717 forest beat. Against this, there is evidence of the presence of tigers has been found in 1432 beats in four cycles held from February 5 to March 26 in year 2018. A tiger makes its own independent territory.
With the rise in the number of tigers, the adolescent tigers have started turning into new areas. Shifting of tigers in Sanjay Gandhi, Panna, Satpura Tiger Reserve etc from the tiger- dominated areas of the forest department have also resulted in new pairs instead of their mutual fight for establishing supremacy in area. Apart from the Forest Department citizens and non-governmental organizations have also contributed directly or indirectly in wildlife conservation.
During the All India Tiger Assessment, figures have been collected in about-30 thousand beats of 21 states in India in Phase-1. Of these, Madhya Pradesh alone has 9 thousand beats. Its preparation in the state had started almost a year ago in February 2017. Master trainers have been trained in each zone dividing the state into seven zones.
While training three master trainers each from each forest circle, 250 master trainers have been made in the entire state. Mock exercises and training were done in many stages before the tiger assessment. This time the use of social media has also been included in the exchange of instant information in the census. Preparations for about one year have begun to show positive results.
The state government has increased compensation in cases of loss of life and injury caused by wild animals. An amount of Rs 4 lakhs is now given in case of loss of life by wild animals and tiger etc. Earlier there was no provision of compensation for cases of injuries caused by animals. Now provision has been made for compensation in such cases. In addition to the treatment in the hospital, the injured person is provided Rs 500 per day.
The inclusion of loss of life, public-injury and animal- injury in the Public Services Guarantee Act 2010 has also proved to be a significant step.
For this, the Forest Department has not only shifted herbivores to the Tiger Reserve of the state from densely populated areas but has also started production of grass through scientific management in the villages vacated in the Tiger Reserve.