In News:

The Guru Ghasidas-TamorPingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh has been officially notified as India's 56th tiger reserve, marking a significant milestone in the country's conservation efforts. Here's an overview of this new reserve:

Key Details:

• Location: The tiger reserve is located across the Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh.
• Area: The reserve spans 2,829.38 square kilometers and includes both core and buffer zones.
  • Core/critical habitat: 2,049.2 sq. km (includes the Guru Ghasidas National Park and TamorPingla Wildlife Sanctuary).
  • Buffer zone: 780.15 sq. km.
• Rank: It is the third largest tiger reserve in India, after the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (Andhra Pradesh) and Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam).

Connectivity:

The reserve forms part of a landscape complex that extends over nearly 4,500 sq. km and is interconnected with other major tiger reserves:

• Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) to the north.
• Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) to the west.
• Palamau Tiger Reserve (Jharkhand) to the east.

This connectivity supports greater wildlife movement, reducing the risk of inbreeding and strengthening the overall conservation efforts for the tiger population.

Biodiversity:

The Guru Ghasidas-TamorPingla Tiger Reserve is ecologically rich, harboring a wide array of species:

• 753 species have been documented, including:
  • 230 bird species.
  • 55 mammal species, including several threatened species such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and wolves.
  • A variety of invertebrates, especially insects.
• The reserve's terrain includes dense forests, streams, rivers, and varied elevations, making it an ideal habitat for tigers and other wildlife.

Ecological Importance:

• Situated in the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus, the reserve has varied landscapes that contribute to its ecological diversity. The region's tropical climate and dense forests make it a critical habitat for tigers and other wildlife.
• The reserve's core area forms an important critical tiger habitat, providing a sanctuary for tigers to thrive with minimal human disturbance.

Conservation Impact:

With the addition of this tiger reserve, Chhattisgarh now boasts four tiger reserves, complementing the existing Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar, and Indravati reserves. This bolsters the state's and the country's ongoing efforts to protect and conserve tigers, which are a keystone species in maintaining ecological balance.

Procedural Steps for Notification:

• Identification: The state government identifies a significant ecological area with potential for tiger conservation.
• NTCA Approval: After a thorough assessment, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) evaluates and approves the proposal.
• State Notification: The state government officially notifies the area as a tiger reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• Implementation: The state, with NTCA support, begins implementing conservation and management strategies.