4983 DR. JANARDHAN WAGHMARE
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS be pleased to state :-
(a) whether the population of tigers have registered a drastic fall in the last few years;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor and the population of tigers during each of the last three Census, State-wise;
(c) the details of schemes launched for the protection of these animals;
(d) whether these schemes have achieved their desired goals; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and, if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) & (b) No Sir. The country level tiger population, estimated once in every four years using the refined methodology, has shown an increasing trend with a population estimate of 1706, lower and upper limits being 1520 and 1909 respectively in the recent all India estimation (2010), as compared to the last country level estimation of 2006, with an estimate of 1411, lower and upper limits being 1165 and 1657 respectively. The landscape-wise details of tiger estimation in the country for the year 2006 and 2010 are at Annexure-I.
(c)‘Project Tiger’ was launched in 1973 to conserve tigers in our country. This is ongoing as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for providing funding support and technical guidance to 17 tiger States for tiger conservation in notified tiger reserves.
(d) & (e) Project Tiger has put the endangered tiger on an assured path of recovery, as revealed in the country level assessment of tiger, co-predators, prey and habitat. The recent (2010) findings in this context indicate a poor status of tiger population in areas outside tiger reserves and protected areas. The tiger population, by and large, in tiger reserves and protected areas of such States are viable, while requiring ongoing conservation efforts. The milestone initiatives taken by the Government of India to protect and foster tiger conservation are at Annexure-II.