Fourth Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh

Why in News

• Recently the 'National Tiger Conservation Authority' (NTCA) approved the proposal of Chhattisgarh government to declare the combined areas of Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve.

Key Points

• Situated in the northern part of Chhattisgarh bordering Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, this new tiger reserve will be the fourth tiger reserve of Chhattisgarh after Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar and Indravati Tiger Reserves.
• The proposal was considered by the 11^th Technical Committee of NTCA on September 1 and approved a month later under Section 38K(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary was identified in 2011 as part of the Surguja Jashpur Elephant Reserve. Guru Ghasidas National Park was part of the Sanjay National Park in undivided Madhya Pradesh. Both have been in line to be notified as Tiger Reserves since 2011.
• The constituent units of the new Tiger Reserve are Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary spread over 1,44,000 hectares (1,440 sq km) and 60,850 hectares (608.5 sq km) respectively.
• Guru Ghasidas National Park is in Koriya district, while Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary is in Surajpur district in the north-west corner of Chhattisgarh.
• Guru Ghasidas National Park was the last known habitat of Asiatic cheetahs in the country. Originally part of the Sanjay Dubri National Park, Guru Ghasidas National Park was created as a separate entity in the Surguja region of Chhattisgarh after the formation of the state in 2001.
• Wildlife experts and activists in the state believe it is important to convert Guru Ghasidas National Park into a tiger reserve, as it connects Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh and provides a corridor for movement of tigers between Bandhavgarh and Palamu Tiger Reserves.