| SIX MORE
TIGER RESERVES TO BE CREATED DURING NINTH PLAN It has been decided by the Ministry of Environment & Forests to create Six more Tiger Reserves during the remaining period of the Ninth Five Year Plan. Two of the areas have already been identified. These are Bhadra in Karnataka and Pench in Maharashtra. The four other areas will be identified in due course. This year marks the 25th year of the inception of Project Tiger. The decision to create these new Tiger Reserves was taken at the meeting of the re-constituted Steering Committee of Project Tiger on the 28th of this month. The meeting was chaired by the Environment & Forests Minister Suresh Prabhu. It was also decided at the meeting, to increase the area of certain other Tiger Reserves. The Ministry has also decided to carry out year-long programs to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Project. The programs would commence with a National Workshop in New Delhi from the 19th to 21st November this year. Forest Ministers of the States and senior Forest Officials and Field Directors of various Project Tiger Reserves will participate. Members of the Committee were appraised of the new initiatives taken by the government for better management of the Tiger Reserves. Members were informed about the posting of armed squads in the insurgency affected areas, sanction of project allowance to field staff and availability of financial assistance for replacement of old vehicles. The allocation of funds to Project Tiger has been doubled. As against an allocation of Rs. 80 million during the year 1997-98, the allocation for the year 1998-99 is Rs. 170 million. Members were also told that the Central government has allocated Rs. 35 million for diverting the Jaipur-Alwar Highway outside the Sariska Tiger Reserve. Members raised issues relating to the relocation of villages outside the protected areas and safeguards against arbitrary exclusion of areas within National Parks and Sanctuaries during settlement the process. Another issue raised was that of casualties to wild animals caused by collisions with vehicles on State Highways, National Highways and railway lines passing through the Parks. |