Based on the TOI report on the issue on March 15, Ranjitsinh has written to minister for environment and forest Jairam Ramesh about the government's plan. "I personally feel the present alignment of the proposed tiger reserve and especially the core areas, will not enhance conservation status of this very fine habitat. One should not accept such truncated and unviable areas as tiger reserves," said Ranjitsinh.
Just giving the title of a tiger reserve while doing nothing on the field to enhance viability and the conservation capacity of the existing areas is tantamount to self-deception and will create apprehensions and opposition amongst the neighbouring communities without achieving conservation goals, Ranjitsinh said.
He pointed out that in case of Nagzira-Navegaon, the situation is further compounded by the fact that there will be two small, separate existing protected areas, separated by almost 40 km of forest whose status will only be 'buffer', which has no real legal stature. Read the full report here.
Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Nagpur.
