In the field of tiger conservation, Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) performed the best in Maharashtra in Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) framework, revealed a report of ‘Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves in India’ released by the Government of India. According to the report, PTR, which has a total area of 741.22 sq km, ranked eighth in the country and first in Maharashtra, in MEE rating. PTR scored 90.91% MEE score with ‘excellent’ category.

The Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), stood 14th with 87.88% score, Melghat stood 16th with 84.85%, Navegaon-Nagzira stood 20th position with 83.33%, and Bor Tiger Reserve stood 29th with 78.03% score.

India has been conducting the MEE of its tiger reserves using the globally accepted framework developed by IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas since 2006. The MEE score is based on a range of factors, including the performance and management of each reserve over time. The assessment was carried out through six elements, that is, context, planning, input, process, output and outcomes. PTR (Maharashtra), BRT Hills Tiger Reserve (Karnataka), and Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam) scored maximum in the ‘Planning’ category with 77.5% score each.

Pench Tiger Reserve scored the highest marks in all eight criteria of ‘Planning’ category, which are: Status of Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP); Does the TR safeguard the threatened biodiversity values; Are stakeholders given an opportunity to participate in the planning process; Are habitat management programmes systematically planned and monitored, and contribute effectively to tiger and other endangered species’ conservation; Does the Tiger Reserve have an effective Protection Strategy (PS) and Security Plan and Security Audit (SA) in place; Has the TR been effective in mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts; Is the TR integrated into a wider ecological network/ landscape following the principles of the ecosystem approach; Is the TR being consciously managed to prevent carbon loss and to encourage further carbon capture/ climate change mitigation?