The Economic Times , Wednesday, February 03, 2016

Correspondent : TNN

JAIPUR: Sariska is basking in the glory of increasing tourist footfall these days, but here is some more good news for the tiger reserve. In the management effective evaluation (MEE) report for the country's 47 tiger reserves, Sariska has improved its status in the past four years, thanks to its effective management and increased efforts to conserve flora and fauna. It had a status of being a `fair' tiger reserve in the last MEE conducted in 201011. In the MEE report for 2014¬15, it has been put in the category of `good' tiger reserves. Ranthambore also falls in the same category . MEE conducted by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the assessment of how well protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, community reserves and tiger reserves are being managed and their effectiveness in conserving target flora and fauna. In the report released last month, the reserves were put into four categories ¬ very good, good, fair and poor. Among those put in the very good category are Annamalai, Bandipur, Corbett, Kalakad¬Mundanthurai, Kanha, Melghat, Mudumalai, Nagarhole, Panna, Parambikulam, Pench (MH), Pench (MP), Periyar, Satpuda, Sundarbans, Tadoba¬Andhari and Valmik. In the report, Sariska is among the two tiger reserves that have got special mention for their performance due to the fact that tigers were wiped out from both of them in the past. The report says, "Tiger reserves such as Panna and Sariska that had lost all their tigers are performing well." No wonder, Sariska was categorised as a poor tiger reserve in 2005¬06 MEE report. "Proper compliance with various tiger conservation poicies has contributed to Sariska's status upgrade. We are hopeful that in the next MEE, we will be in the `very good' category," said Sariska field director R S Shekhawat. Spread over an area of near y 1,281 sq km, Sariska has 13 tigers, according to the latest census. In 2004¬05, the forest department and the Rajasthan government had come under all¬round criticism over the disappearance of tigers from Sariska, thanks to poaching. It was then that the state go vernment decided to relocate igers from Ranthambore Na ional Park in SawaiMadhopur district of Rajasthan to Sariska. The relocation project started in 2008. Since then, the reserve has come a long way.

SOURCE : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/sariska-tiger-reserve-leaps-from-fair-to-good-grade/articleshow/50828881.cms?prtpage=1