The UPA II government on Tuesday showcased several initiatives that have helped in sustaining the environment during its three-year rule despite the fact that delay in environmental approvals have hurt project implementation and overall industrial growth. The report to the people outlined the major steps taken to preserve the environment. It talked about the National Action Plan on Climate Change, forest conservation, mission clean Ganga, the setting up of the National Green Tribunal and tiger conservation.

India on Monday signed joint resolutions with Nepal and Russia on trans-border co-operation to conserve the tiger. The resolutions were signed during the three-day Global Tiger Recovery Programme conference held in New Delhi.

The global conference of 13 tiger range countries for the first time took stock of efforts to double the number of wild tigers by 2022. While reporting a significant progress, the meeting recognised the need for intensive action to halt poaching.

China and Vietnam on Wednesday justified making of traditional medicines with bones and body parts of captive tigers, leading to a strong protest from participating countries at the ongoing three-day Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP). Both claimed that it was legal to make traditional medicines with bones of captive tigers and that these medicines are used for research purposes in its universities and schools. China also refused to come up with any concrete commitments to stop making of traditional medicines with tiger parts.

“The wild tiger continues to remain endangered the world over”

As many as 32 tigers have died this year, even as latest official data showed an increase in the population estimates of the big cats. Of these, 18 were natural deaths, Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said. Expressing concern over the endangered status of the tiger the world over, Ms. Natarajan on Tuesday said the Ministry was looking into the reasons for the deaths.

After scripting a success story in tiger conservation at home in the past few years, India is now planning to revive a two-year-old offer to help save the big cat in the world’s largest tiger reserve in Myanmar, which is suffering from dwindling tiger numbers. The political reform in the South Asian country during the past few months, giving democratic forces a chance, has made Indian officials optimistic that the offer for collaboration — practically locked in the cold storage by Myanmar in the past — can be refreshed through diplomatic channels.

Thirteen countries, including China, Russia and India, will in New Delhi to take stock of their efforts to save the big cat, and exchange notes with each other in a global initiative for tiger conservation. The meeting will also see India and Russia signing a Joint Resolution of Agreed Actions on Tiger and Leopard Conservation, along with highlighting the global challenges and changing trends in protecting tigers from poaching and habitat destruction.

Madhya Pradesh has bagged the highest number of awards for tiger conservation. In the two-day meeting of the Field Directors of the Tiger Reserves (TR) that began on Wednesday various conservation issues including protection, extremist threat, phase-4 monitoring and compliance of effective management were discussed at length.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has said that there is an initiative to create a ‘Special Tiger Protection Force’ for enhancing the protective cover on the wild cats and other animals inhabiting in the Tiger Reserves in the State.

“The Force will see to it that no harm is caused to tigers and other animals in the Tiger Reserves in the State,” Tuki said while addressing a two-day orientation programme on ‘Strengthening Wildlife Law Enforcement and Conservation’ here yesterday.

Minister of environment and forests Jayanthi Natarajan expressed concern that states with tiger reserves had not taken the initiative to deploy the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF).

Despite providing 100 per cent Central assistance to the states of UP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Orissa, these states have failed to enhance protection around critical tiger habitats by using a trained local workforce.