The Chhattisgarh Government on 7 August cleared a proposal to notify a new tiger reserve – the third largest in the country. The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats.
Key points
- The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve will be the fourth tiger reserve in the state after Indravati (Bijapur), Udanti-Sitanadi (Gariaband) and Achanakmar (Mungeli).
- The state cabinet merged the regions of the Guru Ghasidas National Park and the Tamor Pingla Sanctuary, located in the districts of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Koriya, Surajpur and Balrampur, to create the new reserve.
- It spans 2,829 square kilometres across four northern districts of the state.
- The formation of this tiger reserve will foster eco-tourism in the state and create employment opportunities for villagers residing in the core and buffer zones, as guides, tourist vehicle operators, and resort managers.
- Additionally, the National Project Tiger Authority will provide an extra budget for the reserve’s operations, which will facilitate new livelihood development projects in the surrounding villages.
