#ENVIRONMENT ■ Plea against construction in Corbett Tiger Res | UPSC Current Affairs Daily
#ENVIRONMENT
■ Plea against construction in Corbett Tiger Reserve
The Delhi High Court asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to consider a petition to stop the alleged illegal construction of bridges and walls within tiger breeding habitat of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Corbett tiger reserve is located in Ramnager in Nainital district.
It covers 1288.31 sq. kms spreading over three districts of Uttarakhand viz., Pauri, Nainital and Almora.
● Tiger Reserves in India:
Tiger became the national animal of India in 1973 as the lion was a national animal before.
Jim Corbett National Park was created in 1936 for tiger conservation
Classified as Endangered as per IUCN Red Databook Schedule 1 animal as per Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
● Tiger can be killed under two conditions-
Diseased or disabled beyond recovery
The threat to human life.
● In no case, the tiger can be declared vermin.
There are 52 tiger reserves in India that are governed by Project Tiger which is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
India is home to 80 percent of tigers in the world. In 2006, there were 1,411 tigers which increased to 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014 and 2967 in 2018.
The Indian increase played a big role in driving up global populations as well; the number of wild tigers globally rose from 3,159 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016 according to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum.
Largest Tiger Reserve in India– Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana)
Smallest Tiger Reserve in India– Bor Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra)
A tiger reserve is demarcated on the basis of ‘core-buffer strategy’ which includes:
1.Core zone
2.Buffer zone
The world celebrated Global Tiger Day on July 29.
● National Tiger Conservation Authority:
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
It was established in 2005 following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force.
It was constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it.
● Project Tiger:
Project Tiger is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.
India now has as many as 2,967 tigers in the wild, with more than half of them in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, according to the latest tiger estimation report for 2018.
The population of tigers have increased by 33% since the last census in 2014 when the total estimate was 2,226.
● Tiger conservation initiatives in India:
A vigorous Tiger population shows the strength of the ecosystem and self-sustenance which are the key objectives of Project Tiger under the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
By launching the Project Tiger, the Government of India has taken a revolutionary initiative for conserving its national animal.
It was launched in 1973. It is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
The Project Tiger is administered by The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
It is a statutory body of the Ministry with an overall supervisory and coordination part, performing capacities as gave in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
SOURCE - THE HINDU
