Tiger Reserves ( UPSC Prelims)

EN ह

News Context

The Supreme Court has provided guidelines to safeguard tiger reserves in response to the rising Human-Wildlife Conflicts caused by habitat degradation, unchecked tourism, and the fragmentation of corridors.

Directions issued by the Supreme Court

 ● Tiger safaris are not allowed in core areas or designated tiger corridors. They are only allowed on non-forest or degraded forest land within buffer zones.  
  ● Night tourism is prohibited in core/critical tiger habitats.  
  ● Prohibited activities include commercial mining, polluting industries, major hydro projects, the introduction of exotic species, low-flying aircraft, and commercial firewood extraction in buffer/fringe areas.  
      ○ All reserves are required to declare Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) following the 2018 guidelines from the Ministry of Environment under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
      ○ States are mandated to prepare or revise Tiger Conservation Plans (TCPs) within specified timelines.
  ● Core and buffer areas must be declared within six months.  
  ● Human-Wildlife Conflicts (HWCs) are to be given Natural Disaster status to ensure quick relief, with a uniform ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh for human fatalities due to HWCs.  
      ○ The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is tasked with drafting HWC mitigation guidelines within six months, which all states must implement.

About Tiger Reserves

Legally protected areas under Project Tiger (1973) are designated for the long-term conservation of tigers and include:
  ● Core Areas (critical habitat): These are inviolable zones where no tourism or commercial activities are allowed.  
  ● Buffer Areas (sustainable use zone): These areas allow for regulated eco-development and limited tourism.  
 These areas are declared by the NTCA (a statutory body under the WPA, 1972), which approves and notifies reserves, while states propose sites.
 There are a total of 58 reserves, with the most recent being the Madhav Tiger Reserve and Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
 State Governments notify these areas according to the provisions of the WPA, 1972, based on the advice of the NTCA.
 No changes to the boundaries can be made without a recommendation from the NTCA and the approval of the National Board for Wild Life.