UP to create special tiger corridors

The state Government has proposed to create special corridors in the Dudhwa National Park, Katarniaghat and Kishanpur reserved sanctuaries for the free movement of tigers. Of the total tiger population of the state, 60 per cent are found in these three forest areas due to which the state Government has declared them as Critical Tiger Habitats. It has been decided to evict villagers from these areas. In the first phase, villages falling in the way of the special tiger corridors will be relocated.

According to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wild Life) DNS Suman, the state Government is in the process of issuing eviction notices to 10 villages lying within the forest areas of Kishanpur, Dudhwa and Katarniaghat. “There is a provision for this in the Wild Life Protection Act 38 V and we are following it,” Suman told The Indian Express.

He said that once the state Government is over with the formalities, a proposal will be sent to the Union Government to provide necessary funds for the rehabilitation of the villagers of the forest area. The National Tiger Conservation Committee (NTCC) in its recommendations to the state Government had asked to evict people from the areas falling in the Critical Tiger Habitat. As per the recommendations, 490.29 sq km in Dudhwa, 203.41 sq km in Kishanpur and 400.09 sq km in Katarniaghat needs to be evicted and conserved.

In the Katarniaghat reserved sanctuary, a special track for tigers was created in 2006 and it has shown encouraging results. Due to the tiger track which was barred for the human as well as vehicular movement, the number of big cat has remained stable in this area. As per the tiger census of 2005, there were 77 tigers in Dudhwa followed by 58 in Katarniaghat and 29 in Kishanpur.