Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, during a visit to Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), on Sunday said that the two habitats had a good number of tigers compared to the rest of the country.

He called for “aggressive and proactive strategies” to be adopted within the reserves to ensure water availability for wildlife during dry spells.

He told reporters at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp that such strategies should include installation of solar pumps to tap groundwater. The Minister called on the public and corporate sector to sponsor the installation of such pumps in the reserves.

He also spoke of the threat that invasive flora, such as Lantana camara, pose to wildlife.

“These weeds cause problems to herbivores as they prevent growth of the fodder on which they are dependent,” said Mr. Vardhan, who added that in his capacity as Science and Technology Minister, he would get scientists to look at the most effective means of dealing with the problem.

Mr. Vardhan also commented on the steps being taken by the forest department to relocate communities residing in the core area of MTR, like the MountadanChettys. “It has to be done as there are a very few places where people are willing to be relocated without being forced out from tiger reserve,” he said, stating that the Central government had released funds for the first phase of the relocation. The funds from the State government, which will foot 40 % of the relocation costs, are being awaited.

Top forest department officials from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, including the Field Director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Srinivas R Reddy, Raghuram Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Project Tiger and Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore Circle), S Ramasubramanian, were present.