Saving the Indian Tiger - A study on the effects of Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2006 and National Tiger Conservation Authority

The fast dwindling population of tigers in India in the recent decades prompted the Government to take immediate steps to conserve them through special efforts. In 2005, the Tiger Task Force, appointed by Government of India stressed the need for establishment of a National Tiger Authority for streamlining the management and procedures adopted in the tiger reserves in the country. It stressed on participatory approach involving local communities in the conservation strategy to protect the Indian tigers. Consequently, in 2006, Government of India made an amendment in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The high level authority, thus formed, adopted a number of measures including increasing the area of tiger reserves through relocation of villages, enhancing and regularizing the funds for conservation, devising protocols for streamlining the procedures and reducing the man-animal conflicts through prompt and adequate compensation. Our analysis of the functions of NTCA highlights that NTCA has considerably been successful in the areas of fund allocation and its utilization for conservation, ensuring approval of conservation plans and their implementation, arresting the loss of habitats and improving the habitat areas and in ensuring uniformity and objectivity in management and administration of tiger reserves. All these measures have also resulted in a convincing sustenance of tiger population in the country which is evident from the tiger census done in 2010. However, the study reveals that a lot needs to be done in involving the local communities in the active conservation process through sharing of benefits obtained by tourism and conservation efforts. To give a real shape to the policy which envisages ensuring the agricultural, livelihood, development and other interests of the people living in a tiger reserve, a solid framework having an appropriate legal back up for sharing the benefit with local communities is necessary now. This alone can ensure a sustained and real participation process and prevent the wonderful animal from ending up with an ‘ecological extinction’ stage.