• UGI USER
  • Aug 06, 2024
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SARISKA RESERVE: BAN PRIVATE VEHICLES, BOOST TIGER PROTECTION

Why in the news?

The Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee recommends banning private vehicles in Sariska Tiger Reserve by March 2025 and creating a Special Tiger Protection Force to enhance tiger conservation efforts.

source:wordpress

Recommendations for Sariska Tiger Reserve:

  • Private Vehicle Ban: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has recommended banning private vehicles in Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) by March 2025 to protect tigers and their habitats from traffic impacts.
  • Alternative Transport Options: Suggested using electric shuttle buses, and considering tramways, elevated roads, motorable twin tunnels, or ropeways based on feasibility studies.
  • Special Tiger Protection Force: The CEC proposed creating a Special Tiger Protection Force to address man-animal conflicts and poaching risks, given the growing tiger population and nearby villages.
Key Facts about Sariska Tiger Reserve:

  • Location: Alwar district, Rajasthan, in the Aravali Hills.
  • Area: 800 sq km.
  • History: Became a natural reserve in 1955 and a national park in 1979; first in the world to successfully relocate tigers.
  • Attractions: Pandu Pol, Bhangarh Fort, Ajabgarh, Pratapgarh, Siliserh Lake, Jai Samand Lake.
  • Topography: Rocky landscape, scrub thorn forests, grasses, hilly cliffs, and semi-deciduous wood.
  • Vegetation: Northern Tropical Dry Deciduous and Thorn Forests.
  • Flora: Dominated by dhok trees; other species include salar, kadaya, ber, banyan.
  • Fauna: Includes leopards, sambhar, chital, nilgai, wild boars, rhesus macaques, hyenas, and jungle cats.

What are the Aravalli Hills?

  • Location: Northwestern India, spanning Delhi, southern Haryana, Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.
  • Type: One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world.
  • Length: Approximately 670 km (430 mi) running southwest.
  • Features: Series of ridges and peaks, widths range from 6 to 60 miles.
  • Elevation: Peaks vary between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.
  • Highest Point: Guru Shikhar at 5,650 feet on Mount Arbuda.