ACHANAKMAR TIGER RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env & Eco)

Context: Recently, tracking teams inside Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh have been diligently monitoring the movements of a tigress, aimed at bolstering the reserve's dwindling population of these majestic big cats.

• The latest Status of Tigers, Co-Predators and Prey in India census report, 2022 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) showed that Chhattisgarh, which shares a border with Madhya Pradesh, has just 17 tigers. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh — from which Chhattisgarh was carved out in 2000 — has 785 big cats.

Achanakmar Tiger Reserve

• Location: It is located in the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh.
• About: It was declared a tiger reserve in 2009. It is a part of the huge Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. Maniyari River flows right from the center of this reserve, which is the forest's lifeline. It has a corridor connecting to Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger reserves and plays a critical role in the dispersal of tigers among these reserves.
• Vegetation: Tropical deciduous forest.
• Flora: Sal, bija, saja, haldu, teak, tinsa, dhawara, lendia, khamar, and bamboo bloom here, along with over 600 species of medicinal plants.
• Fauna: Wild fauna includes the tiger, leopard, bison, flying squirrel, Indian giant squirrel, chinkara, wild dog, hyena, sambar, chital, and over 150 species of birds.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Establishment: In 2006 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
• Objectives:
• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance with its directives becomes legal.
• Fostering accountability of Center-State in the management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis for a MoU with States within the federal structure.
• Addressing the livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
• NTCA Members: Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson), Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson), Three members of Parliament, The Secretary (MoEFCC) and other members.