Context:
The Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) report states that Project Tiger will displace at least 5.5 lakh Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers.
Key highlights of the Report
- The report was released on International Tiger Day 29 Jul, 2024.
- The report highlights a significant increase in displacement rates since 2021.
- While approximately 2.5 lakh people were displaced from 50 tiger reserves before 2021, the number has skyrocketed in recent years.
- Some reserves are facing displacement rates of over 48,333 people, a staggering increase of 967% compared to the pre-2021 average.
- People will be displaced from Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, and Ranipur Tiger Reserve.
- The report noted that five tiger reserves—Sahyadri (Maharashtra), Satkosia (Odisha), Kamlang (Arunachal Pradesh), Kawal (Telangana), and Dampa (Mizoram)—had no tigers but displaced 5,670 tribal families.
Project Tiger
- Project Tiger, launched in 1973, has been instrumental in reviving India’s tiger population from the brink of extinction.
Objective:
- The primary goal is to ensure a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats, thereby protecting the entire ecosystem.
Tiger Reserves:
- In 1973, Project Tiger began with nine reserves covering 9,115 sq. km. By 2018, it had grown to 55 reserves in different states, totaling 78,135.956 sq. km or 2.38% of India’s land area.
Funding and Administration:
- Project Tiger is a centrally sponsored scheme. The funding is shared between the central government and state governments. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) oversees the project’s implementation, ensuring that guidelines are followed for the conservation and management of tiger populations.
Violations of Tribal Rights
- The report alleges that the expansion of tiger reserves often disregards the rights of Indigenous people, as enshrined in the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The FRA was a landmark legislation aimed at recognizing the rights of forest-dwelling communities over forest resources and land.
- The report emphasizes the critical importance of obtaining free, prior, and informed consent from affected communities before any displacement takes place, a provision mandated by both acts.
Balancing Conservation and Human Rights
- The displacement of tribal people and the alleged human rights violations have ignited a broader debate on the trade-offs between conservation and human rights.
- Finding a balance between protecting wildlife and ensuring the rights and livelihoods of indigenous communities is crucial for the long-term success of conservation efforts.
- Case Study: Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve: The report highlights the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve as a model for coexistence between humans and wildlife. The Soliga tribe has successfully cohabited with tigers within the reserve, demonstrating that conservation and human livelihoods can be reconciled.
Between 2010 and 2014, the tiger population in the area nearly doubled from 35 to 68, which is much faster than the national growth rate during that time.