Dudhwa declared ‘critical tiger habitat’

Lucknow In a major step towards conservation of tigers in Uttar Pradesh, the state Forest department has notified Dudhwa National Park, Kishenpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katar-niyaghat Wildlife Sanctuary as “critical tiger habitat” areas.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which has approved the notification, will evaluate the area — along with 38 other critical tiger habitats across the country — between August 10 and December 15.

Under Section 38-V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, an expert committee comprising officials from the NTCA and the state government has approved the notification.

According to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, critical tiger habitat is the inviolate space required for conservation of tigers. The notification is a legal action to declare a particular national park or a wildlife reserve as a “core” zone. A critical habitat is based on parameters like estimated tiger population over the years, size of the territory and population viability analysis.

Based on these, a total of 1093.79 sq km of area has been notified as critical tiger habitat. Out of this, while 490.29 sq km is in Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri district, 203.41 sq km is in the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. The rest — 400.09 sq km — is in Bahraich district’s Katarniy-aghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

Following the notification, as per the National Tiger Conservation project, the state government will ensure that there is no other dwelling in the area. It will also undertake research activities to check if the area is viable for tigers and initiate programmes in this regard.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) B K Patnaik said: “It was important for us to notify the area as per NTCA guidelines. By doing so, we can ensure better management of the area. Now, the NTCA will support us in conservation and management activities undertaken in the area.”

According to department officials, the notification will also help in relocating tribals and forest dwellers living in the core zone. “There is a provision to relocate dwellers living in the core zone if they are willing. They will be given equivalent land and Rs 10 lakh per family, with each adult being counted as one family. But this can happen only in the notified area, as the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 can only be implemented there,” said an official.

R L Singh, Chairman of a NTCA evaluation committee with the charge of core zones in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, UP, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, said: “We will evaluate core zones across the country, among which Dudhwa is a significant zone. After evaluation is complete, the NTCA will look at the proposals prepared by the state for tiger conservation.”

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