Uttar Pradesh Plans its 4th Tiger Reserve in Bundelkhand

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 1

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) cabinet approved the notification of the state’s fourth tiger reserve in the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in Chitrakoot district.

Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary(RWS)

• Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary(RWS) was founded in 1977. 
• It has no tigers of its own. 
• But pugmarks of the animals are frequently seen there as tigers from nearby Panna frequent it. 
• According to the Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA), RWS is an important corridor for the movement of tigers.
• Hence, Rani Tiger Reserve is being established there.

About Ranipur Tiger Reserve

• Ranipur Tiger Reserve will be the fourth in UP after Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Amangarh (buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve). 
• It will be the first in the state’s portion of the Bundelkhand region which it shares with neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
• The Tiger Reserve has tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to fauna such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara and a number of birds and reptiles.
• A Ranipur Tiger Conservation Foundation will also be established for the protection and conservation of tigers in the region.

National Tiger Conservation Authority

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation.
• The authority consists of the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests ( as Chairperson), the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (as Vice-Chairperson), three members of Parliament, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and other members.
• The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, providing funding support to tiger range States for in-situ conservation of tigers in designated tiger reserves.

The objectives of NTCA are

• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
• Fostering accountability of Centre-State in management of Tiger Reserves, by providing a basis for MoU with States within our federal structure.
• Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
• Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.