Tiger safari proposal in Corbett National Park red flagged, Uttarakhand asked to comply with wildlife norms

The Centre has red flagged a proposed tiger safari project in Uttarakhand's Corbett National Park and asked the state government to first comply with wildlife norms.

It cited the central government's recent decision to stop tiger safari project in Madhya Pradesh's Pench National Park citing alleged violation of rules. The Uttarakhand forest department had in August last year sought permission of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to start a tiger safari inside the famous national park.

The NTCA has asked the Uttarakhand government to take prior permission from Central Zoo Authority (CZA).

It may also be looked into that if the proposal is in conformity with and as per tiger conservation plan prepared for Corbett reserve, said a letter by the NTCA to the state, a copy of which was received in reply to an RTI query filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.

On the issue of the safari in the Pench National Park, the NTCA had said that it exposes tigers to poaching. The Madhya Pradesh forest department had failed to take prior approval from the CZA before construction of tiger safari there, it said.

The tiger population in the country was estimated at 1,706 in 2010. It rose to 2,226 in 2014. Uttarakhand ranks second --after Karnataka--in tiger population in the country. It has an estimated 340 tigers, as per the latest government data.