Tiger conservation plans for 16 reserves unapproved

Preparation of tiger conservation plan is a legally mandated obligation on the part of state governments to get annual grant for conservation of tigers. Out of 48 tiger reserves, conservation plans for 32 have been approved and 16 others not, the NTCA said in reply to an RTI query filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. The tiger conservation plan of Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu), remains to be approved as well.

The NTCA has been requesting the States to submit tiger conservation plans and has said that budgetary allocation shall not be made for 2016-17 in absence of the approved plan. As per a latest report, there are about 2,226 big cats in various tiger reserves of the country, up from 1,706 in 2010 and 1,411 in 2006 census.