NTCA team completes inspection of Sariska
THE NTCA TEAM WILL INSPECT 10 OUT OF 50 WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN INDIA. AMONG THE
10, THREE ARE IN RAJASTHAN
The three-day inspection of the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) team ended in Alwar on Monday.
The two-member NTCA team, headed by former principal chief conservator of forest of Madhya Pradesh, Suhas Kumar, inspected the park to rank it on the national level. The authority extends grants to the national parks on the basis of their ranks.
The team, which has Dr Sameer Sinha of Wildlife Protection Group as a member, arrived in Sariska on August 4 and took stock of the tiger conservation project, relocation of villages from the STR core area and other facilities. The team, called the managerial effective evaluation team, enquired about the management dynamics, usage of development funds and performance of the staff. It also discussed ways to increase tourist traffic in the STR.
During its three-day visit, the team visited the Ajabgarh Forest Range and its buffer area and gave ideas to make the forest more flora and fauna rich. It also visited Baghani village, from where 21 families were relocated to Bardod Rundh in 2007. Later, the two team members went to Bardod Rundh to review the facilities provided to the relocated families.
The NTCA team is tasked with inspecting 10 out of 50 wildlife sanctuaries in India. Among the 10 sanctuaries, three are in Rajasthan – Sariska, Ranthambore and Mukundra Hills – and seven in Madhya Pradesh. The team will take six months to prepare a report.
On Monday, the team checked financial and compliance records of Sariska before concluding the inspection. The team members will leave for Delhi on Tuesday morning.
Talking to HT, Balaji Kari, the deputy conservator of forest of Sariska, said that the NTCA team visited the reserve last time in 2014. At that time, Sariska was ranked “very good”, he added.