PUNE:
The forest department will send fresh proposals to the state government
for planning two more tiger reserves to boost the population of big
cats in the state.
Maharashtra, which currently has four tiger reserves in Melghat, Pench, Tadoba-Andhari and Sahyadri, is among the few states directed by the NTCA to send proposals for new reserves to ensure a strong breeding population and growth of the big cat.
The fifth tiger reserve would emerge by integrating the Nagzira and Navegaon protected areas in Bhandara-Gondia districts, while Bor sanctuary in Wardha district will once again be proposed as the sixth tiger reserve. In 2010, Bor sanctuary was proposed as a tiger reserve by the then minister of environment and forest, Jairam Ramesh, but was declared too small.
A senior official from the state forest department told TOI that Nagzira protected area includes the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary, new Nagzira sanctuary and the recently constituted Koka wildlife sanctuary. "These three protected areas collectively have an area of around 400 sq km. The Navegaon national park, covering an area of around 130 sq km, and the nearby Navegaon sanctuary with an area of 120 sq km, have been proposed to be joined with the three protected areas, making it a joint tiger reserve," the official said.
He added that Navegaon will act as a satellite area serving as a passage for tigers dispersing from the surrounding areas. "Navegaon has a transient population of tigers, whereas Nagzira has tigers that permanently reside there. The tigers in Navegaon are sometimes seen and sometimes not," he said, adding that there were more than 10 tigers in the Nagzira protected area at present.
Navegaon, however, makes an important corridor between various tiger landscapes such as Tadoba-Andhari in Chandrapur district and Kanha National Park and tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
S W H Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and state wildlife warden, told TOI that the reason for proposing Nagzira to be part of the tiger reserve was that it was a very good tiger habitat which houses a certain number of tigers at any given time. "When Nagzira and Navegaon will be integrated, the existing tigers will come together and breed, which will boost population," Naqvi said.
"A proposal to club Nagzira-Navegaon to form a tiger reserve had earlier been made, but nothing came of it as it had several defects. In the fresh proposals, Koka wildlife sanctuary has been included. The proposals will now be sent to the state government, which will send it to the Union government," he said.
The Bor and New Bor sanctuaries represent a compact forest area in Wardha. In March 2012, the state had notified 61 sq km area around existing Bor as New Bor sanctuaries. "Together, they cover an area of 129 sq km. Despite being a small area, it has around six tigers and is connected to the slightly fragmented corridors of Pench, Melghat and forest area in MP. Bor sanctuaries and other forest areas in Wardha are in the extreme end of the forested after which one sees farm land." Hence, there is a need to conserve it by declaring it a tiger reserve," the official added.
Maharashtra, which currently has four tiger reserves in Melghat, Pench, Tadoba-Andhari and Sahyadri, is among the few states directed by the NTCA to send proposals for new reserves to ensure a strong breeding population and growth of the big cat.
The fifth tiger reserve would emerge by integrating the Nagzira and Navegaon protected areas in Bhandara-Gondia districts, while Bor sanctuary in Wardha district will once again be proposed as the sixth tiger reserve. In 2010, Bor sanctuary was proposed as a tiger reserve by the then minister of environment and forest, Jairam Ramesh, but was declared too small.
A senior official from the state forest department told TOI that Nagzira protected area includes the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary, new Nagzira sanctuary and the recently constituted Koka wildlife sanctuary. "These three protected areas collectively have an area of around 400 sq km. The Navegaon national park, covering an area of around 130 sq km, and the nearby Navegaon sanctuary with an area of 120 sq km, have been proposed to be joined with the three protected areas, making it a joint tiger reserve," the official said.
He added that Navegaon will act as a satellite area serving as a passage for tigers dispersing from the surrounding areas. "Navegaon has a transient population of tigers, whereas Nagzira has tigers that permanently reside there. The tigers in Navegaon are sometimes seen and sometimes not," he said, adding that there were more than 10 tigers in the Nagzira protected area at present.
Navegaon, however, makes an important corridor between various tiger landscapes such as Tadoba-Andhari in Chandrapur district and Kanha National Park and tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
S W H Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and state wildlife warden, told TOI that the reason for proposing Nagzira to be part of the tiger reserve was that it was a very good tiger habitat which houses a certain number of tigers at any given time. "When Nagzira and Navegaon will be integrated, the existing tigers will come together and breed, which will boost population," Naqvi said.
"A proposal to club Nagzira-Navegaon to form a tiger reserve had earlier been made, but nothing came of it as it had several defects. In the fresh proposals, Koka wildlife sanctuary has been included. The proposals will now be sent to the state government, which will send it to the Union government," he said.
The Bor and New Bor sanctuaries represent a compact forest area in Wardha. In March 2012, the state had notified 61 sq km area around existing Bor as New Bor sanctuaries. "Together, they cover an area of 129 sq km. Despite being a small area, it has around six tigers and is connected to the slightly fragmented corridors of Pench, Melghat and forest area in MP. Bor sanctuaries and other forest areas in Wardha are in the extreme end of the forested after which one sees farm land." Hence, there is a need to conserve it by declaring it a tiger reserve," the official added.
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