To control the decline in population of tigers, Madhya Pradesh Forest department is planning to appoint personnel from the Special Tiger Protection Force for safeguarding the big cat population at Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and other tiger reserves of the State, where populace of the national animal is still sizeable.
The constant decline in the number of stripped cats across the State has jeopardised MP’s ‘Tiger State’ tag. Unofficial figures put the number of tigers in the State at 300 in 2007 and with further decline in 2009 to around 240.
A tiger census conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in 2007, put the number of big cats in Madhya Pradesh at 300, followed by Karnataka with 290. However, another census conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), in 2008, has put the population in five tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh at 232 - with 89 big cats in Kanha, 47 in Bandhavgarh, 39 in Satpura, 33 in Pench and 24 in Panna.
However, in April this year, a four-member Central inquiry committee announced that Panna had no tigers since January. Committee chairman and former NTCA director, PK Sen candidly mentioned that there were no tigers in Panna adding that tigers might have fallen pray to mass poaching.
Concerned over the report, the State Government has already formed a six-member committee to look into the matter, which is in Panna these days. The State Government has also decided to form a Special Tiger Protection Force to guard the remaining big cats at in the State's tiger reserves.
Every company of the force would comprise 112 jawans, three sub-inspectors and six head constables and would be headed by a deputy superintendent of police. Constables of the force will be on deputation from local police department and would be below 40 years of age. Their deputation will continue till the police department creates permanent posts for the force.
