‘Rise in tiger population in State due to conservation with people’s participation’
| Date :30-Jul-2019 |
Special Correspondent:
With 312 tigers in the wild, Maharashtra ranks fourth in country, said Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar
Expressing happiness over increase in the number of tigers to 312 in Maharashtra, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Forest Minister, said that this was the result of effective conservation practices implemented by Forest Department with people’s participation. The number of tigers in Maharashtra was 103 as per the All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2006. The number jumped to 168 in 2010 and then to 190 in 2014. With increase of 122 tigers in 2019, the State has total 312 in the wild. This is an increase by 65 per cent in tiger population during the last four years. Maharashtra ranks fourth in the country, he added. Similarly, the number of tiger population was 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014 and now the tiger population in the country has gone to 2,967.
Staff of Maharajbag zoo celebrated Global Tiger Day on Monday. Dr Sunil Bawaskar, Zoo In-charge Officer cut a cake on the occasion. Dr Abhijeet Motghare, Veterinary Officer; Jai Darwade, Zoo Curator; Suvrana Kawle, Zoo Education Officer; Mahesh Pande and others also were present.
Mungantiwar also said that the department had given priority to protect and conserve tigers in all the six tiger reserves in Maharashtra with people’s participation. It is also implementing Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Yojana for reducing dependence of local communities on forest and man-animal conflict. Locals are being provided basic amenities and employment opportunities to earn livelihood. All these factors are responsible for better conservation of big cats and the result is rise in their number, Mungantiwar pointed out. In his reaction, while addressing a function ‘Abhimaan Maharashtracha’ organised at Chandrapur to mark Global Tiger Day, on Monday, Vikas Kharage, Principal Secretary, Forest, said, “Maharashtra is proud of rise in number of tigers.”
Kharage stressed on importance of tiger and appealed to all to make efforts to save tiger. “The government is implement various schemes for tiger conservation but man-animal conflict is still posing a challenge. The department can be strengthened by proper use of manpower, technology and funds to face the challenge,” added Kharage. Umesh Kumar Agrawal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Head of Forest Force), reacted that the jungle in Maharashtra was conducive for tigers.
This is a matter of happiness. The dependence of locals on forest is reducing, he said adding that the department was committed to control increasing man-animal conflict. In his reaction to increase in tiger population in State, Nitin Kakodkar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), appreciated the efforts put in by forest officers for conservation of tigers and villagers opting for relocation in order to enable tigers move freely. Maharashtra is proud to have increased number of tigers, Kakodkar added.
