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Introduction

Mukandara Hills Tiger Reserve (notified through S. No. F3(8) FOREST 2012 dated 9 April 2013) includes Mukandara National Park, Darrah Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and part of Chambal Gharial Sanctuary. The administrative headquarters of Mukundara Hill TR are situated at Kota, Rajasthan. However, this tiger reserve is spread over four districts of Rajasthan—Kota, Bundi, Chittorgarh and Jhalawar. MHTR approximately lies between latitudes 24° 38′ N and 25° 7′ N and between longitudes 75° 26′ E and 76° 12′ E. The extent of the core area is 417.17 km² and that of the buffer is 342.82 km². The total area of MHTR is 759.99 km² . The flora of MHTR is very rich, and the main species are Anogeissus pendula, Boswellia serrata and Acacia catechu. Miscellaneous forest trees like Butea monosperma, forest along nalah in which Bamboo, sitafal, unbia, Arjun, Jamun, khajur, gunjan etc are found.

There are 80–90 species of tree that are very important as well as 30–40 types of shrub, around 50 types of climber, 120 types of herb, 40 types of grass, epiphyte and pteridophyte in the park. The fauna of MHTR is also very rich. The reserve has a good population of mammals, viz., chital, sambar, neelgai, hyena, fox, jackal, jungle cat, ratel, sloth bear, chinkara, small civet, porcupine, Indian hare, mongoose, langur, leopard and tiger. The birds of MHTR are also very vivid, and around 140 birds species have been reported in the park. Many migratory and resident birds are present here. Reptiles ranging from snakes to crocodiles are present in the park. Around 70 species of fish have been reported in different rivers and water bodies of the park.

Management Strengths:

Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) is well integrated within a larger landscape with the potential to accommodate more dispersing tigers from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. There is habitat connectivity with Ranthambore Tiger Reserve through a cluster of protected areas including Indergarh–Lakheri–Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve–Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary and with Darah through the ravines of the Chambal and Kalisindh rivers. Another possible corridor is up to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh through Bhainsroadgarh Sanctuary. With Ramgarh Visdhari having been declared a tiger reserve, the network has further been strengthened, and the entire landscape has come under the purview of scaled-up conservation efforts.

Vegetation and grasses have come up well in the 82 km² enclosure. Some of the areas can be used for prey augmentation in the reserve.

Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve, nestled in the Vindhya mountain ranges, is a repository of serene dense forests, wide valleys and sprawling plateaus. With a good supply of water from Chambal, the tiger reserve supports unique habitats (water bodies and forests in scenic landscape) and biodiversity, demanding targeted efforts for their conservation.

The core and buffer of the tiger reserve are under the unified control of the Field Director, making the administration efficient. The agenda of tiger conservation is well integrated within the working plans of adjoining territorial forest divisions.

The tiger reserve authority has substantially complied with the recommendations made during the last cycle of MEE. Laxmipura village has been completely relocated, while Kherli Bawadi and Ghati have been relocated completely for except the absentee landlords. Mashalpura village has been partially relocated, while deliberations are underway for relocating Damodarpura and Giridharpura out of the tiger reserve.

The tiger reserve has a strong protection regime with a fully operational M-STrIPES, surveillance system and deployment of armed border home guards including women personnel. In compliance with the Hon’ble High Court’s directions, the department has deployed Border Home Guards (BHGs) till regular recruitment of Forest Guards for the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) is made. The experiment has yielded good results compared with the STPF (police model) operational in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
Efforts have been made by the management for harmonizing existing and upcoming linear infrastructure projects with tiger conservation needs. Wildlife mortality-prone segments of the Delhi-Mumbai Railway track have been mitigated by the construction of wall fencing. An underground tunnel is under construction for mitigating the greenfield 8-lane highway under Bharatmala Pariyojana passing through the core of the tiger reserve.

Management Weaknesses:

The linear shape of the tiger reserve is an inherent disadvantage to MHTR, making it vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures exerted by surrounding villages. A sizeable tiger population in the tiger reserve in future is likely to severe cause human–tiger interfaces in the region.
The feral population of cattle inside the reserve is a matter of concern as it is increasing with time. They are a threat to the TR as they damage the grassland of the reserve.
The Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP) has been drafted and submitted to NTCA, and its approval is long awaited.
The infestation of Prosopis, Lantana and Ocimum cannum in many parts of the tiger reserve is a limiting factor for herbivores.
National Highway 12, the Delhi–Mumbai railway track and the Kota–Rawatbhata highway (SH 33) are without wildlife mitigation measures and continue to pose serious threats for the tiger reserve.
There is a dearth in staff since approximately 55% of the positions of frontline staff lie vacant and a substantial proportion of the staff are ageing. Although staff quarters/camps were adequately equipped, there is no family accommodation. Moreover, the staff are not formally trained in wildlife management.
Although LPG connections were provided in the past to decrease the demand for fuelwood, a report by the Government of Rajasthan indicates that more than 75% of the beneficiaries have discontinued the use of LPG and depend on the forest for fuelwood collection.
Although 28 EDCs are currently in place, their participation in the planning and decision-making is negligible. Sharing of relevant information in the public domain by the tiger reserve management is minimal.
At present, there is no provision for compensation for crop damage by wildlife anywhere in Rajasthan. This might make the local communities hostile and escalate human–wildlife conflicts in future.
Few research projects have been conducted in the tiger reserve since its declaration except a few studies on biodiversity documentation. Monitoring, trend analysis and futuristic projections are lacking for the majority of activities taken up by the tiger reserve management.
Delays in fund release are another serious concern for the tiger reserve since a substantial portion of the released funds remains unutilized. There is a paucity of funds in the Tiger Conservation Foundation. The involvement of conservation partners/donors and NGOs is minimal.

Immediate Actionable Points:

Bhainsroadgarh Sanctuary, in Chittorgarh District, has already been included in the tiger reserve management. Attempts should be made to integrate it as a core with MHTR along with addition of some adjoining forest areas as buffer as it will help the viability of tigers in long term. Further, this would ensure habitat connectivity up to Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and bolster tiger conservation efforts in the landscape.
Approval of the Tiger Conservation Plan should be actively pursued. Without this, many of the management approaches would be ad hoc.
In-situ conservation breeding facilities for prey need to be established within the tiger reserve to support the prey augmentation programme. It is essential that the released prey populations should be intensively monitored for understanding their demography and survival parameters.
Grazing and the feral cattle population have been a major threat to the tiger reserve. Attempts should be made to minimize these without compromising with the livelihood economy and social customs of the local communities. If required, stall feeding should be gradually encouraged and local communities should be made aware of its benefits. Alternatives to LPG connections (such as solar cookers, improvised smokeless chullas and biogas) should be considered so as to reduce the local communities’ dependence on forest resources.
Proposed village resettlement should be carried out in a time bound manner. More investments are required for grassland development in the resettled village sites and management of invasive species in the tiger reserve. Water points and talabs run by solar pumps should be created at regular intervals within the tiger reserve and maintained especially during the pinch season. The efficacy of these structures should be appropriately monitored for adaptive management.
The impacts of hostile land use patterns in the landscape on the persistence of tigers and other endangered wildlife should be cumulatively evaluated in MHTR with immediate effect. Tigers, once released, should be intensively monitored as per the established protocol.
There is an urgent need for filling up the staff vacancies. RFOs and ACFs should be regularly sent to the Wildlife Institute of India for attending wildlife diploma and certificate courses. The frontline staff should be frequently trained in important aspects such as wildlife management and monitoring, analysing signs, evidence and pug impression pads (PIPs), camera trapping, crime investigation, intelligence gathering, participatory approaches, etc.
Currently the scope of research in the tiger reserve is low. In light of this, it is pertinent that long-term studies on tigers, predators, prey, habitat, socio-economy of local communities, etc. should be initiated and continued. Moreover, information on ecosystem services rendered by the tiger reserve and carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change are some other areas which should be actively addressed. Collaborations should be made with institutes and universities of national and international repute for carrying out such long-term research and studies in the landscape.
There is an urgent requirement of introducing compensation for crop damage by wildlife. Without this, the local communities are likely to become hostile and retaliate sooner or later.
The EDCs are nascent, and their role in tiger reserve management is limited. A more active participation of EDCs in the planning process need to be ensured. MHTR should launch a website, and all relevant information pertaining to good practices in the tiger reserve should be made available in the public domain.
Enhancing management effectiveness will require a significant investment of money, especially for upgrading the infrastructure, skills and equipment, training the staff and village-level engagements. Additional resources may be provided for these. The Tiger Conservation Foundation should be made financially viable and fully operational. The scope of investments from extra-budgetary sources like CAMPA, MNREGS and rural and community development programmes of the Central and state governments should be explored for tiger conservation. The tiger reserve management should explore corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is an innovative policy instrument and can be utilized for the cause of conservation of forests and wildlife through converging partnerships. The state government and Tiger Conservation Foundation need to gear up and play a pivotal role to explore avenues to garner support through this CSR mechanism.

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