Page 68 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Unit 3: Information Products

3.15 State of the Art Report Notes
State of the art report is the highest level of development, as of a device, technique, or scientific field,
achieved at a particular time.
Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation movement initiated in India in 1973 to protect tigers. The
project aims at tiger conservation in specially constituted tiger reserves representative of various
regions throughout India and strives to maintain viable populations of Bengal tigers in their natural
environment.
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In 2008 there were more than 40 Project Tiger reserves covering an area over 37,761 km (14,580 sq
mi). Project Tiger helped to increase the population of these tigers from 1,200 in the 1970s to 3,500 in
1990s. However, a 2008 census held by the Government of India revealed that the tiger population
had dropped to 1,411. Since then the government has pledged US$153 million to further fund the
project, set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000
villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
The number of tigers in India’s wild has gone up by 20%, according to the latest (2011) tiger census,
which has surveyed the whole of India for the first time. The census puts the population of the big
cat at 1,706.

There were 1,706 tigers including tigers in the Sunderbans at the last count.

3.15.1 Goals and Objectives

Project Tiger was meant to identify the limiting factors and to mitigate them by suitable management.
The damages done to the habitat were to be rectified so as to facilitate the recovery of the ecosystem
to the maximum possible extent.
The potential tiger habitats being covered are:
Sivalik–Terai Conservation Unit (Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal), and in Nepal
North east Conservation Unit
Sunderbans Conservation Unit
Central Indian Conservation Unit
Eastern Ghat Conservation Unit
Western Ghat Conservation Units

3.15.2 Organisation
Project Tiger is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The overall administration
of the project is monitored by a Steering Committee. A Field Director is appointed for each reserve,
who is assisted by the field and technical personnel. At the centre, a full-fledged Director of the
project coordinates the work for the country.
Wireless communication system and outstation patrol camps have been developed within the tiger
reserves, due to which poaching has declined considerably. Fire protection engineering is carried
out by suitable preventive and control measures. Villages have been relocated in many reserves,
especially from core areas. Livestock grazing has been controlled to a great extent in the tiger reserves.
Various compensatory developmental works have improved the water regime and the ground and
field level vegetation, thereby increasing the animal density.

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