NEWS – Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, announced the notification of Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. It is the 56th Tiger Reserve in India.

HIGHLIGHTS

Details of the Reserve

• Location: Spread across the Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh.
• Total Area: 2829.38 sq km.
  • Core Habitat: 2049.2 sq km (includes Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary).
  • Buffer Area: 780.15 sq km.

Size and Importance

• Third Largest Tiger Reserve in India:
  • After Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) and Manas (Assam).

Conservation Landscape

• The reserve is part of a larger landscape complex:
  • Contiguous with the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), forming a complex of nearly 4500 sq km.
  • Connected to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) to the West and Palamau Tiger Reserve (Jharkhand) to the East.

Approval and Notification

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) granted final approval for the reserve in October 2021.

Ecological Features

• Terrain: Nestled in the Chota Nagpur plateau and partly in the Baghelkhand plateau.
• Rivers: Origin of major rivers like Hasdeo Gopad and Baranga, and a catchment for several others like Neur, Bijadhur, Banas, and Rehand.
• The diverse landscape with dense forests, streams, and rivers is ideal for wildlife conservation, especially tigers.

Faunal Diversity

• A total of 753 species documented:
  • 365 invertebrates
  • 388 vertebrates:
    • Includes 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, including several threatened species.

Other Tiger Reserves in Chhattisgarh

• Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve
• Achanakmar Tiger Reserve
• Indravati Tiger Reserve

Impact on Conservation

• With the addition of this tiger reserve, Chhattisgarh now has four tiger reserves, enhancing the conservation of the species.
• Ongoing technical and financial support under Project Tiger from the National Tiger Conservation Authority will strengthen efforts for tiger protection in the region.