Page 69 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Information Analysis and Repackaging

Notes History

The tiger population in India at the turn of the 19th century was estimated at 45,000 individuals. The
first ever all-India tiger census was conducted in 1972 which revealed the existence of only 1827
tigers. In 1973, the project was launched in Palamau Tiger Reserve, and various tiger reserves were
created in the country based on a ‘core-buffer’ strategy. For each tiger reserve, management plans
were drawn up based on the following principles:
Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic disturbance from the core area and
rationalization of activities in the buffer zone.
Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages done to the eco-system by human
and other interferences so as to facilitate recovery of the eco-system to its natural state. Monitoring
the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying out research about wildlife.
Global organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) contributed much funding to Project
Tiger. Eventually, however, it was discovered that the project’s field directors had been manipulating
tiger census numbers in order to encourage more financial support. In fact, the numbers were so
exaggerated as to be biologically impossible in some cases. In addition, Project Tiger’s efforts were
damaged by poaching, as well as the Sariska debacle and the latest Namdapha tragedy, both of
which were reported extensively in the Indian media.
The landmark report, Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India, published in 2007 by the
National Tiger Conservation Authority estimates only 1411 adult tigers in existence in India, plus
uncensored tigers in the Sundarbans.

The project to map all the forest reserves in India has not been completed yet, though
the Ministry of Environment and Forests had sanctioned. 13 million for the same in
March 2004.
The Forest Rights Act passed by the Indian government in 2006 recognises the rights of some forest
dwelling communities in forest areas. This has led to controversy over implications of such
recognition for tiger conservation. Some have argued that this is problematic as it will increase
conflict and opportunities for poaching; some also assert that “tigers and humans cannot exist”.
Others argue that this is a limited perspective that overlooks the reality of human-tiger coexistence
and the role of abuse of power by authorities, rather than local people, in the tiger crisis. This
position was supported by the Government of India’s Tiger Task Force, and is also taken by some
forest dwellers’ organisations.
Though Project Tiger once saved the tigers from extinction in India, today the Project faces major
problems which are likely to critically endanger Indian tigers.[citation needed] Reports of widespread
poaching of tigers in two of the premier Tiger Reserves of North India- Sariska and Ranthambore is
heartbreaking news for tiger lovers all around the world. Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister
of India, visited Ranthambore to review the condition and ordered a high level inquiry to book the
culprits. A special committee comprising of eminent ecologists and wildlife experts, under the direct
supervision of the Prime Minister, has also been constituted to find new ways to curb the menace of
indiscriminate poaching of tigers in India.

Future Plans
Wildlife protection and crime risk management in the present scenario requires a widely distributed
Information Network, using state-of-the-art information and communication technology. This becomes
all the more important to ensure the desired level of protection in field formations to safeguard the

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