Published on : Monday, June 18, 2018
As per news reports, the forest department will send detailed reports to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Referring to this development, Digvijay Singh Khati, chief wildlife warden, said, “Uttarakhand will now have four tiger reserves. This would mean protection of tigers and employment opportunities for locals.” During the initial stage of this process development, State Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat had doubts and was not so sure about declaring Surai range as a tiger reserve. However, the SBWL officers then convinced him by informing that there will be more funds and protection available for the conservation of tigers in this region.
The officials also mentioned that with the opening of these tiger reserves, tourism in this part of the country will get a boost, which will open more livelihood opportunities for the locals.
The hill state is already popular for Corbett Tiger Reserve, which attracts lakhs of tourists every year. This reserve also boasts of having the highest density of tigers in the country. Reportedly, the latest report based on the last annual estimation, the tiger count is 240 in this reserve.