Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) is one of the prominent tiger reserves in India, ranking second in core area and sixth in total area among 51 Tiger Reserves in the country.
Challenges Faced by ATR
ATR is grappling with several issues including staff shortage and inadequate funding, affecting its ability to protect forest cover and conduct monitoring activities effectively.
Insufficient Forest Lines
Forest lines, crucial for controlling forest fires, have not been adequately established due to lack of funds. Only about 200 km of the required 1400 km of forest lines have been created.
Base Camp Shortage
ATR lacks adequate base camps, with only 23 camps for an area of 2,600 square km. It requires at least 70 to 80 base camps for effective management, whereas even smaller reserves like Bandipur have more base camps.
Inadequate Fire Control Teams
The existing fire teams and base camp watchers are insufficient to tackle forest fires effectively, especially considering the geographical challenges and limited resources.
Limited Equipment
The staff at ATR face a shortage of essential firefighting equipment such as blowers, fire safety gloves, and beaters, hampering their ability to combat fires.
Allocation of Funds
Funds allocated for firefighting measures are sometimes directed to divisions that are not prone to forest fires, leading to misallocation of resources.
Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE)
ATR has shown improvement in its Management Effectiveness Evaluation, moving from the ‘Good’ category in 2018 to the ‘Very Good’ category in 2022. However, there are expectations for further improvement.
Strengthening Staff and Equipment
There is a need to address the staff shortage and equip them with necessary resources to enhance firefighting and monitoring capabilities.
Allocation Reassessment
The allocation of funds should be reassessed to ensure they are directed towards areas with the highest need, particularly those prone to forest fires.
Infrastructure Development
Investment in infrastructure such as additional base camps, fire watch towers, and wireless equipment is essential to improve response times and communication within the reserve.
Transparency and Accountability
Senior officials need to be transparent about the measures being taken to address the challenges faced by ATR and ensure accountability in resource allocation and management.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with Answers:
- What is the rank of Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) in terms of core area among all Tiger Reserves in India?
- A) First
- B) Second
- C) Third
- D) Fourth
- Answer: B) Second
- How many base camps are currently present in ATR?
- A) 50
- B) 60
- C) 70
- D) 23
- Answer: D) 23
- In which category was ATR ranked in the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) in 2022?
- A) Poor
- B) Fair
- C) Good
- D) Very Good
- Answer: D) Very Good