Context: 

The Centre officially declared the Madhav National Park as the country’s 58th tiger reserve.

More on the News

• The newly added national park is also the 9th tiger reserve in the state to get this recognition, the highest in any state.
• In December last year, India established its 57th tiger reserve in the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh after receiving in-principal approval from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

About Madhav National Park/Tiger Reserve

The Park was the hunting ground of Mughal emperors and the Maharaja of Gwalior, particularly the Scindia dynasty. It was named after Madho Rao Scindia, a prominent Maharaja.

It got the status of a National Park in 1958.

The reserve, located in the Shivpuri district of the Chambal region, currently has five tigers, including two recently born cubs. 

• Three tigers, including two females, were introduced to the Madhav National Park in 2023 as part of the tiger reintroduction project in the State. 

The reserve is located on the northern edge of India's Central Highlands, part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills, with plateaus and valleys.

Lakes: Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar are in the southern part of the park, which provide a vital water source for land animals.

Rivers: The park's drainage flows north and northeast, forming the Amarnadi river catchment. It also forms part of the Sind River catchment, which runs along the park's eastern boundary. 

Marsh Crocodiles are in abundance in Sakhya Sagar Lake. 

• Due to this, the lake looks like a "Crocodile Safari" and attracts special attention of tourists. 

Madikhera dam is situated in the North Western part of the Park.

What is Tiger reserve?

A Tiger Reserve in India is a protected area created under the Project Tiger program to help conserve tigers and their habitats. 

The goal is to protect tiger populations, preserve biodiversity, and restore ecological balance.

Tiger reserves are made up of two main areas: the core zone and the buffer zone. 

• The core zone is a national park or sanctuary where wildlife is strictly protected. 
• The buffer zone includes forested and non-forested land and serves as a space where both wildlife and human activities can coexist, allowing animals to move freely.

Currently, there are 57 tiger reserves in India, covering about 82,000 square kilometers, which is over 2.3% of the country’s total area, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Process of Creating a Tiger Reserve

Identification of Area: The State Government identifies a suitable area based on the presence of tigers, their prey base, vegetation, and habitat. 

Proposal Preparation: The state prepares a detailed proposal with maps, ecological studies, and management plans. This proposal is submitted to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for review and approval before being sent to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Preliminary Notification: After approval, the state government issues a preliminary notification under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, declaring the area as a tiger reserve.

Final Notification: After addressing objections, a final notification is issued under Section 38V of the Act, formally establishing the tiger reserve. 

• Once this is done, the reserve can only be de-notified in public interest with the approval of the Tiger Conservation Authority and the National Board for Wildlife (Section 38W).

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the same Act. 

It conducts the All India Tiger Estimation to track the big cat numbers, usually in cycles of four years. 

• As per the 5th cycle summary report of 2022, India has a minimum of 3,167 tigers and is home to more than 70% of the world’s wild tiger population.