Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve

 

Introduction

- The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla (GGTP) Tiger Reserve has recently been declared as the 56th tiger reserve of India.

- This constitutes a substantial stride forward in India's tiger preservation initiatives.

- The reserve is situated in the state of Chhattisgarh, which previously boasted three other tiger reserves namely Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi, and Achanakmar.

 

Key Facts about the Tiger Reserve

- The GGTP Tiger Reserve is ideally nestled between the Chota Nagpur plateau and the Baghelkhand plateau.

- Boasting a core habitat spanning 2,049.2 sq. km, which includes the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary, and a buffer zone of around 780.15 sq. km, it is the third largest tiger reserve in India, after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh and Manas in Assam.

 

Biodiversity

- With about 753 species documented by the Zoological Survey of India, comprising 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates, the GGTP Tiger Reserve is marked by its richness in biodiversity.

 

Landscape Approach and Importance

- The GGTP Tiger Reserve takes on a landscape line of attack, which focuses on maintaining the interconnectedness of habitats crucial for conservation of biodiversity.

- It also provides ecological connectivity with a series of neighboring tiger reserves, such as Sanjay Dubri in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and Palamau in Jharkhand.

- This is well in alignment with India’s National Wildlife Plan (2017-2031), which supports habitat preservation and sustainable conservation.