Deoria to find a place in tiger map

The Deoria range of Pilibhit district may soon be included in the Critical Habitat Zone for tiger.

State forest department officials said the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked them to prepare a long-term plan for the conservation of the big cat and also, prepare a map of the area connecting it with the critical tiger habitat of Dudhwa in Lakhimpur Kheri and Katarniya Ghat in Bahraich.

Officials said the recent incidents of man-animal conflict reported from the area have confirms the presence of tigers and a comprehensive plan is needed to check poaching and manage the tiger population.

The affected villages will be included in the joint forest management (JFM) programme to stop villagers from going deep inside the forest and to provide them with a livelihood. The range, with an area of 96.6 square kilometres, came to limelight after eight incidents of tiger attack over the last four-and-a-half months.

The Divisional Forest Officer, Pilibhit, VK Singh, said: “The NTCA officials, including their secretary Rajesh Gopal, have been visiting the area since the forest department decided to catch three tigers who have been killing people. They have closely observed the area for the presence of tigers and have given us a green signal to prepare a long-term plan for the area.”

After consultation with experts from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the NTCA has also asked the state government to prepare a proposal for including the range in the critical tiger habitat zone. “This will help us make a strategy to not just conserve the animal but also keep a check on poaching incidents,” said Singh.

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