Chhattisgarh’s Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla notified as India’s 56th Tiger Reserve

NEW DELHI: The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh has been notified as India’s 56th tiger reserve. This reserve is a crucial addition to the country’s wildlife preservation efforts. The notification, announced by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, marks Chhattisgarh’s fourth tiger reserve.

Taking to social media platform ‘X,’ the minister stated, “As India continues to touch new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km.”

Let the roars get louder!

As India continues to touch new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km.

India continues to work… pic.twitter.com/5hAqBuUANh

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) November 18, 2024

The Government of Chhattisgarh, in consultation with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), has established the tiger reserve across the districts of Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur, Korea, Surajpur, and Balrampur. The reserve includes a core/critical tiger habitat of 2,049.2 sq. km, which encompasses the Guru Ghasidas National Park and the Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary. The remaining 780.15 sq. km constitutes the buffer zone.

This notification makes Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla the third-largest tiger reserve in India, following the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh and the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam. The reserve is contiguous with the Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, forming a conservation landscape of nearly 4,500 sq. km, and is further connected to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to the west and the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand to the east.

Situated in the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus, the reserve features diverse terrains, dense forests, rivers, and streams that provide critical habitats for tigers. According to the Zoological Survey of India, the reserve harbors 753 documented species, including 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates. This includes 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, with several classified as threatened.

With this addition, Chhattisgarh now hosts four tiger reserves, further enhancing its commitment to tiger conservation under Project Tiger, supported by the NTCA’s financial and technical assistance.