MEE TR Web Portal

Introduction

The Government of Uttarakhand issued a notification under Section 38V (1) (vide notification no. WL-05/X-2-2010-19(34)/2006 dated 26 February 2010) declaring the constitution of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) in 1936. It was also the launch site for post-independent India’s most prestigious conservation project, Project Tiger, on 1 April 1973. Today, after years of successful management efforts, it holds the unique distinction of having the highest density of tigersanywhere in the world.

Earlier, Corbett National Park, Sona Nadi Sanctuary and the surrounding reserve forests were collectively referred to as Corbett Tiger Reserve. Subsequently under the provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 (as amended in 2006), the Government of Uttarakhand, following the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, notified the area as Corbett Tiger Reserve on 26 February 2010. The total area of Corbett Tiger Reserve is 1288.31 km².

Management Strengths:

The TR management has been engaging with communities around the reserve. There are 44 EDCs actively restraining their entry in the TR and thereby reducing their dependence on the resources of the tiger reserve. With a big employment potential around the year, the communities have benefitted in a big way. The employment is on account of the works undertaken in the TR like physical removal of invasive species, planting of grass slips, creation and rejuvenation of water holes, maintenance of buildings and tourism infrastructure, running an open Gypsy for tourists in the tourism zone and providing guides for tourists’ vehicles. Besides this, EDCs are assisted by the management to learn and upgrade the skills of the members in creating goods and services that can be marketed through souvenir shops.
The CTR management has been making conscious efforts to maintain the grasslands. The grasslands (locally called chaurs) are divisible into two categories: (i) riverine grasslands dominated by Saccharum spontaneum and (ii) anthropogenic grasslands from where villages (Dhara, Jhirna and Laldhang) have been relocated. The grasslands on the southern fringes of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) serve as important habitats for grazing ungulates such as the chital, sambar, barking deer, hog deer, nilgai and Asian elephant. Besides, these grasslands support several other floral and faunal communities, including the flagship species of CTR, the tiger.
TR has an electronic eye for surveillance along the southern boundary to monitor any illegal entry. The high-tech cameras installed at each of the 12 locations have a 4–5 km range and are integrated with artificial intelligence. For instance, if a camera focuses on a tiger, the camera can zoom and follow the trail of the animal and track it down.
The tiger reserve has adequate physical infrastructure like buildings, equipment for patrolling and vehicles. The management also receives sufficient funding from NTCA, the state government and CAMPA. Even some NGOs make in-kind contribution.
There are regular cleanliness drives, and several voluntary services are offered by the local guides, drivers and naturalists working on safari vehicles in support of an NGO, Waste Warrior. CTR has prepared a zero waste plan that is implemented jointly with Waste Warrior at Ramnagar.

Management Weaknesses:

The tourism-related infrastructure at the Pakharo gate side of the TR has been constructed disregarding all guidelines, rules and regulations. Approval was granted for two tiger safaris where tigers in enclosures would be shown to tourists in closed vehicles. While implementing the ill-conceived projects, the DFO, Kalagarh had crossed the boundaries of propriety and constructed arches, buildings and enclosures by destroying the habitat far more than was originally conceived. Many officers at the state and district levels were placed under suspension, and some retired while on suspension, which speaks very poorly of the TR management. NTCA and CZA have already back-tracked on the clearances granted by them. CEC are yet to conclude their findings. Besides the 160 trees that were handed over to Forest Corporation for extraction, several thousand trees were uprooted to make a very big waterhole over a 1 ha area. It was reportedly a dense forest patch where trees were uprooted by the TR management. FSI’s report to CEC reveals the exact number of trees that have vanished due to this mindless project conceived in the reserve. Forest Survey of India has now confirmed that “over 6000 trees” were felled in 40 acres of dense forest to facilitate Pakhro Tiger Safari.
The TR management claims that no poaching incidents of tiger, elephant, and leopard have been reported in the last 3 years. After the seizure of four tiger skins in 2016–17, several enquiries were made that have led to the fact that the tigers were poached in Kalagarh Division. But the TR management has not accepted it and has brought out a counter-narrative that poaching took place in the adjoining Lansdowne Division. The Lansdowne Division management has already rejected this narrative.
About a month back, two tiger skins were seized in Haridwar Division. The accused persons attributed the poaching to another unknown person, who could not be apprehended. The examination of the accused persons further revealed that the said seller of the skins had poached three tigers and two of the seized skins were from that very case of poaching. It is also regretfully noted that the identity of the tigers corresponding to the seized skins is yet to be established despite the fact that every tiger in the country is counted. This makes the entire exercise of having an All India Tiger Census every 4 years a futile exercise.
The Corbett management informed the MEE team that they had tallied the stripes of the seized skin with the repositories of tigers they had in the library. But no official records could be made available regarding this (like a request letter from the DFO, Haridwar and the reply of the FD (CTR). It is felt that the case is not being handled with the earnestness that it deserves.
The ISFR 21 report suggests that the forest cover in Corbett TR in 2011 was VDF, 330.88 km²; MDF, 825 km²; and OF, 91.61 km² and that it has undergone changes, as found in the 2021 assessment. The report says that there has been a loss of 22 km² of forest cover in the TR. As per the latest report, the VDF is 437 km², the MDF is 693.67 km², and the ODF is 89.87 km².
Human–tiger conflict in the landscape is increasing, and the loss of tree cover has resulted in loss of habitat and increased conflict with humans.
The TR still does not have an ESZ notified. In the absence of such notification the activities in the 10 km deemed ESZ must be regulated. Building materials were found stored for remodeling private resorts along the Ramnagar–Ranikhet highway. Such activities must be regulated. The Ramnagar–Ranikhet highway is persistently acting as a barrier for many species, including the elephant. These roads have to be made eco-friendly according to guidelines, and accordingly, speed limits or time restrictions may be imposed. A detailed study on the trends and mortality regarding such infrastructure is to be made. Possible measures of overpasses and underpasses may be investigated for reducing wildlife mortality and even human causalities.
The MEE team could not visit the northern boundary of the TR because of logistical and time constraints. There are vacancies of Range Officers in the northern part, and it appears that these parts are far less intensively managed. However, it is learnt that conflict, poaching and smuggling cases are existent in Adnalla, Plain, Mandal and Maidawan ranges.

Immediate Actionable Points:

The threat of tiger poaching in the landscape is real, and the TR management has to take a lead role in comprehensive investigation of all cases. like the month-old tiger skin seizure in Haridwar. The management appear to be complacent in their efforts to check illegalities on the northern periphery of the reserve.
No grazing is allowed in the core area. However, 57 Gujjar families still reside in the buffer area of CTR. An approximately 1000 livestock depend on the forest area of CTR for grazing. Besides this, grazing along the northern boundary of TR is also quite substantial, which has to be assessed and monitored. Easy availability of livestock in the forest might be a reason for behavioural changes in tigers—sub-adults leaving the mother after a prolonged time, lack of infighting among the tigers for territorial control and increased survival of litters. These aspects need to be investigated further to get inputs for better management of the park.
Tourism-related infrastructure at the Pakhro gate side of the TR has been constructed disregarding all guidelines, rules and regulations. Many officers at the state and district levels were placed under suspension, and some retired while they were on suspension, which speaks very poorly of the TR management. CEC are yet to conclude their findings. Besides 160 trees that were handed over to Forest Corporation for extraction, several thousand trees were uprooted to make a very big waterhole over a 1ha area. It was reportedly a dense forest patch where trees were uprooted by the TR management. FSI’s report to CEC reveals the exact number of trees that have vanished due to this mindless project conceived in the reserve. Forest Survey of India has now confirmed that “over 6000 trees” were felled in 40 acres of dense forest to facilitate Pakhro Tiger Safari.
The present management should regenerate the patches where trees were destroyed and dismantle the ugly-looking iron enclosures on the site. The loss of 22 km² of forest cover has decreased the carbon sequestration potential. Moreover, no studies are taken up to periodically monitor the carbon sequestration potential. The management must initiate relevant studies.
The TR still does not have an ESZ notified. In the absence of such notification, the activities in the 10 km deemed ESZ must be regulated. Building material was found stored for remodeling private resorts on the Ramnagar–Ranikhet highway. Such activities must be regulated.
Despite NTCA’s directives, the management has not shown any inclination to phase out tourism from the core area of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Further forest rest houses in the core area are allotted to tourists for night halts. With hundreds of Gujjar families still remaining inside and depending on the resources of TR, no sincere attempt is seen on the part of the management to make the TR inviolate. The irrigation colony from Kalagarh is yet to be relocated completely.
Vacancies of RFOs and Forest Guards needed to be filled up urgently.
A brief interaction with EDCs gave the impression that they are starved of funds and they are unable to implement their micro plans. Elections of office bearers are not held periodically as per norms (one EDC President held office for 20 years, the MEE team was informed at the meeting). It must be ensured that elections are held on time.

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Corbett Tiger Reserve

Introduction

Management Strengths:

Management Weaknesses:

Immediate Actionable Points:

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