Posted on: Post Date – 11:10pm, Monday – Nov 14 22
MEE team proposes special tiger conservation units for 2 tiger reserves
Hyderabad: The Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) inspected the Amrabad and Karwar tiger sanctuaries and appreciated the initiatives taken by the National Forest Department, in addition to recommending some measures especially for the establishment of tiger sanctuaries The Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). Two tiger reserves.
NTCA conducts MEE exercises every four years in all tiger reserves across the country to assess the effectiveness of management measures adopted by various forestry departments.
So a three-person team led by a retired chief forest ranger inspected the Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) and the Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) from November 6-9 and November 10-13 respectively. .
After completing the assessment, the MEE team, including retired IFS Dhirendra Suman and retired IFS Nitin Kakodkar, held a meeting with PCCF and Chief Wildlife Administrator RM Dobriyal and other officials in Aranya Bhavan on Monday.
During the meeting, NTCA’s MEE team expressed appreciation for habitat improvement efforts, including the development of KTR water sources and grasslands. They observed that these measures would facilitate the migration of tigers from Maharashtra to KTR.
The team emphasized that relocating two villages from the KTR core area will help increase the availability of areas where wildlife is not encroached.
Manpower availability at the field level, in the form of field-level booth officers and other security personnel, has improved significantly compared to the previous assessment study. However, there are still some vacancies that need to be filled as early as possible.
Local communities are welcome to participate in maintaining and entrusting responsibility for the protection and development of tiger reserves. The measures taken by the forestry department in setting up rainwater collection pits, managing water sources for wild animals, and managing natural grasslands were praised by the team of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
The team was impressed with the measures taken by the two tiger reserves to ensure areas are clean and plastic-free through the daily collection and disposal of rubbish. Both tiger reserves send biologists out into the wild to monitor wildlife and map water sources and grasslands.
MEE Team Advice
During the meeting, the MEE team suggested the establishment of Special Tiger Conservation Forces (STPF) for two tiger sanctuaries, with 112 staff each, as in Maharashtra.
In addition to closing one of KTR’s beedi leaf units to relieve pressure on the habitat, the MEE team also emphasized the timely release of matching state share funds under the Central Funding Scheme (CSS) to ensure access to a second installment facility.
It also hopes to use CAMPA funds to relocate villages from core areas, in addition to exploring funding support from the Ministry of Tribal Welfare as in Madhya Pradesh. It proposes to fall tiger corridors into Kagaznagar and Asifabad sub-divisions based on protected area status, notified as protected areas/protected areas under WLPA, 1972.
It is recommended to explore increasing the funding of the Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF) through ecotourism activities and obtain financial support under corporate social responsibility (CST).
Given the vast area covered by the two tiger reserves, the MEE team also wanted to explore the possibility of increasing the number of base camps in the two tiger reserves.
PCCF RM Dobriyal assured the MEE team that the beedi leaf unit at KTR will be closed immediately and notifying the corridor area of KTR as a conservation area is a top priority.new
Likewise, STPF constitutions for the two tiger reserves will be sought with the state government, he said, adding that plans are being made to promote ecotourism in tiger reserves.
