PROJECT
TIGER AND PROJECT ELEPHANT -ENVIRONMENT
News:
Project Tiger merges with
Project Elephant
What's
in the news?
● The
Central government recently merged Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
Key
takeaways:
● A
common allocation will fund both the projects beginning this year.
● The administrative setup for the two
schemes will continue to exist separately, only funding is to be merged.
● A new division, ‘Project Tiger and
Elephant Division,’ has been notified under the Ministry of Environment Forest
and Climate Change.
● The
amalgamation will bolster the conservation of both the animals, as they often
share the same landscapes in the country.
Concerns:
● The
decision, apparently driven by an effort to squeeze funds, is likely to impact
conservation of both signature animals — particularly tigers.
● The
merger will impact the funding pattern for tiger reserves, as Project Elephant
will become a parasite on Project Tiger and both will suffer.
● There
is a lack of details regarding the merger which is causing confusion.
Project
Tiger:
● It
was launched in 1973 with 9 tiger
reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger.
● Currently,
the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 54, spread out in 18 tiger range states.
● The
tiger reserves are organized according to a core/buffer model.
● The
core parts are legally designated as a national park or a sanctuary, whilst the
buffer or surrounding areas are a mix of forest and non-forest land maintained
as a multiple use area.
● It
is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme
of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change that provides
government support to tiger states for tiger conservation in designated tiger
reserves.
Further
Reference -
Tiger Census
Project
Elephant:
● It
was launched in 1992 to provide financial
and technical support to major elephant bearing States in the country for
the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
● It
is a centrally sponsored scheme and
seeks to address the issues of human-elephant conflict and the welfare of
domesticated elephants.
Further
Reference -
Asian Elephant