India sets benchmark in tiger conservation by protecting 70 percent population: Bhupender Yadav

Mumbai: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that India is setting a benchmark in tiger conservation by protecting 70 percent of the global population.  

The Minister was speaking in a function at Chandrapur Forest Academy, Maharashtra on International Tiger Day 2022 and gave the credit to forest guards, forest officers and all the people who live around forest reserves for this achievement.

“The government of India has demonstrated its commitment to tiger conservation by increasing the number of tiger reserves from an initial nine in 1973 to the current 52, the latest being Ramgarh Vishdhari in Rajasthan,” Yadav said.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, also attended the event and hailed the government’s efforts in tiger conservation across the country.

Addressing the gathering, he stressed that the tiger symbolises power, plays a crucial role in the conservation of biodiversity, forest, water and climate security.

He stated that it is a matter of great pride that India is a global leader in tiger conservation and is collaborating with countries like Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Russia to come together for the cause of tiger conservation.  

“We should imagine a future of peaceful co-existence of man, animals, and nature,” said the MoS.

The Ministers, along with other delegates, visited Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and appreciated the diversity of the landscape, its flora and fauna and had informal interactions with the forest staff and Tiger Reserve management to understand the field-level protection issues.

Bhupender Yadav  also commended Maharashtra for implementing the unique Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Yojana which provides for schemes for the welfare of people living in and around tiger reserves, and which is worth emulating by other states.

He emphasised on promoting low-impact sustainable tourism in Tiger Reserves with maximisation of visitor satisfaction and direct benefit sharing with locals.

During the function front line staff were felicitated and rewarded with NTCA annual award of Rs 1 lakh each to two foresters, two  forest guards, and two Watchers/protection assistants/ Tiger Trackers in recognition of their extraordinary performance in the field of tiger conservation.

The declaration to celebrate Global Tiger Day was taken on 29th July 2010 at St Petersberg  in order to bring all tiger range countries together for an increased thrust on tiger conservation and management globally. Since then, this day is symbolically celebrated as Global Tiger Day.