In a fillip to the efforts to conserve the big cat in the country’s biggest reserve, Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), the Government of India has recognised the reserve forest area on the fringes of NSTR as an Eco-Sensitive Zone under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, ratifying the proposals sent by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
“This can be a major milestone in our tiger conservation efforts. We will intensify our efforts to further strengthen the ecological balance,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest N. Prateep Kumar while addressing the 47th Eco Sensitive Zonal Experts Committee meeting held virtually on Tuesday.
The NSTR is spread over an area of 3,727.82 sq. km in the Nallamala ranges of the southern Eastern Ghats. Most of the area is hilly terrain with plateaus, ridges, gorges and deep valleys, which support the tropical mixed dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests with an under growth of bamboo and varieties of grass species.
At present, two wildlife sanctuaries – Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM) – constitute the core area of the tiger reserve.
The NSTR attained the status of a tiger reserve in 1983.
With the ratification, the total extent of the core area and reserve forest extends to 2,149.68 sq. km. It extends from 0 to 26 sq.km from the NSTR.
Responding to several queries from Ravi Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Forests, Mr. Prateep Kumar stressed the need for identification of the fringe areas as Eco Sensitive Zone.
