The Statesman, Kolkata, Thursday 14 August 2014

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, 13 August, 2014

Government has accorded "in principle" approval for creation of two new tiger reserves in the country and has sought proposals from states for giving status to five more protected areas, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, he said final approval has been given to three others for declaring them as tiger reserves.
"In Principle approval has been accorded by National Tiger Conservation Authority for create of 2 new tiger reserves -

Ratapani(MP) and
Sunabeda (Odisha)," Javadekar said.

"Final approval has been accorded to

Bor (Maharashtra)
Kudremukh (Karnataka) and
Rajaji (Uttarakhand) for declaring as tiger reserves," he said.

He said that the state governments have been advised to send proposals for declaring 5 other areas as tiger reserves. The state governments were advised to send proposals on

Suhelwa (UP)
Guru Ghasidas National Park (Chhattisgarh)
Mhadei Sanctuary (Goa)
Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Sqiurrel/Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuaries/Varushanadu Valley (Tamil Nadu) and
Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh).

Giving details of tiger deaths till August 6 this year, the minister said inside tiger reserves, a total of 24 cases were under scrutiny.
There were zero deaths due to poaching including seizure and 4 deaths due to natural and other causes.
Similarly, in terms of tiger deaths outside tiger reserves, there were 13 cases which were under scrutiny, 3 cases of poaching and other causes and zero cases of natural and other causes.

The recent initiatives taken by the government include implementing MOU with tiger states, special crack teams sent to tiger reserves affected by Left Wing Affected extremism, modernisation of infrastructure and field protection and launching Monitoring system for Tiger Intensive Protection and Ecological Status and others.