Source: IE
Context: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has restricted the definition of tiger corridors to only 32 “least cost pathways” (2014 report) and those in Tiger Conservation Plans, excluding newer scientific studies.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
What it is
- A statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Apex authority for tiger conservation and management of tiger reserves in India.
Established in
- Created in 2005 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 through its 2006 amendment.
Chaired by
- Headed by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Vice-Chairperson: Minister of State for Environment.
- Member Secretary: a senior official from MoEFCC (generally Additional DG, Wildlife).
Structure of Organisation
- Chairperson – Union Environment Minister.
- Members – Experts in ecology, wildlife, tribal welfare, NGOs, and MPs.
- Member Secretary – senior MoEFCC officer handling administration.
- Field interface – works closely with State Forest Departments, Tiger Reserves, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
- Approve Tiger Conservation Plans (TCPs) prepared by states.
- Lay down guidelines for tourism, coexistence, and protection of buffer areas.
- Ensure ecological connectivity by notifying and managing tiger corridors.
- Provide financial assistance for tiger conservation projects.
- Conduct periodic appraisals of tiger status and habitat.
- Use powers under Section 38(O) of Wildlife Protection Act to regulate projects in tiger reserves and corridors.
- Oversee implementation of Project Tiger and maintain national tiger estimation through All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE).
Significance of the Current Issue
- Conservation setback: Excluding WII studies and AITE data narrows corridor protection.
- Industrial benefit: Mining and infrastructure projects may now bypass stricter scrutiny.
- Legal implications: The Bombay HC case may decide whether NTCA’s volte-face aligns with statutory obligations.
- Ecological risk: Limiting corridors to minimal routes threatens long-term tiger gene flow and survival.
- Policy contradiction: NTCA itself admitted in 2014 that “alternative connectivities do exist and must be conserved”.
