Tweet
The Rajasthan Government is considering action to ensure tigers’ safety and prevent them from straying out of their territories. It plans to build a corridor connecting six national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of the State under the Tiger Biosphere Project.
The Rajasthan Forestry & Biodiversity Project (RFBP) will be developed with a `1,153-crore grant from the Japan International Cooper-ation Agency (JICA) in select areas from 2011 to 2019.
According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) RN Mehrotra, Rajasthan will connect Keoladeo, Ranthambore, Sawai Mansingh, Ramgarh, Jawahar Sagar and Dara sanctuaries, which fall under Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Kota and Bundi districts.
“With increase in numbers of big cats at the Ranthambore National Park, tigers stray out of their territory and go missing. They become easy prey for villagers and poachers,” he said. Tracking and returning the stray has so far been a mammoth task for the State.
A tiger from Ranthambore National Park had, for instance, strayed into Keoladeo National Park. It was later transferred to Sariska National Park. Most of the parks and sanctuaries in Rajasthan are interconnected, forest officials pointed out.
Once the corridors are built, park officials will also have to take up security issues for wildlife and take serious action against poaching and other criminal activities. It is likely that villages in the vicinity of parks and sanctuaries will be relocated. Pointing this out, wildlife experts questioned the feasibility of the project and emphasised need for a policy.
Quite apart from so-called corridor areas, even core areas of reserves are crowded with villages. For instance, there are about 82 villages in the periphery of Keoladeo National Park alone, 20 around Ramgarh
The Rajasthan Forestry & Biodiversity Project (RFBP) will be developed with a `1,153-crore grant from the Japan International Cooper-ation Agency (JICA) in select areas from 2011 to 2019.
According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) RN Mehrotra, Rajasthan will connect Keoladeo, Ranthambore, Sawai Mansingh, Ramgarh, Jawahar Sagar and Dara sanctuaries, which fall under Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Kota and Bundi districts.
“With increase in numbers of big cats at the Ranthambore National Park, tigers stray out of their territory and go missing. They become easy prey for villagers and poachers,” he said. Tracking and returning the stray has so far been a mammoth task for the State.
A tiger from Ranthambore National Park had, for instance, strayed into Keoladeo National Park. It was later transferred to Sariska National Park. Most of the parks and sanctuaries in Rajasthan are interconnected, forest officials pointed out.
Once the corridors are built, park officials will also have to take up security issues for wildlife and take serious action against poaching and other criminal activities. It is likely that villages in the vicinity of parks and sanctuaries will be relocated. Pointing this out, wildlife experts questioned the feasibility of the project and emphasised need for a policy.
Quite apart from so-called corridor areas, even core areas of reserves are crowded with villages. For instance, there are about 82 villages in the periphery of Keoladeo National Park alone, 20 around Ramgarh
