The efforts of the environment and forests ministry declare Kaziranga national park, which has the world’s highest density of tigers, as a Project Tiger reserve appear to have backfired.
The recent removal of encroachments around Kaziranga by the park authorities triggered strong protests by the Kaziranga Jeep Safari Association and other stakeholders. They shot off letters to both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and minister of state for environment Jairam Ramesh demanding that Project Tiger be withdrawn from the reserve as it hindered the free flow of tourists.
Project Tiger director Rajesh Gopal counters this, saying that a “a lot of wrong information is spread about Project Tiger. Whichever sanctuary has been converted into a tiger reserve has seen a great deal of additional investment and more livelihood opportunities for local people.” Ministry sources also noted that it was extremely unlikely that Kaziranga would cease to be a tiger reserve.
The official acknowledged that Kaziranga was home to a large breeding population of elephants, wild water buffaloes, swamp deer, rhinos and tigers, and said given its sensitive location — close to the borders with China and Nepal, from where a lot of smuggling in animal parts was taking place — it was imperative to safeguard the animals’ natural habitat.
Kaziranga park director Surajit Datta, trying to reassure the local population, acknowledged the point of conflict was the demarcation of a 10 km eco-sensitive zone under the Environment Protection Act 1986.