Why in the News?

The Union Environment Ministry has given approval for funding for the ‘tigers outside of tiger reserve’ pilot scheme to manage human-tiger conflicts better through enhanced monitoring and protection.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• About the Scheme (Need, Scope, Implementation, Causes for Human-Tiger Conflict, Institutional & Policy Framework, Govt Support, Future Outlook)

Addressing the Challenge of Tigers Beyond Protected Areas

• In response to the rising incidence of human-tiger conflict in several parts of India, the Union Ministry of Environment has approved a pilot scheme focused on “tigers outside of tiger reserves.”
• This scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 88 crore until 2026-27, aims to enhance the protection, monitoring, and conflict management capabilities in regions where tigers roam outside officially designated tiger reserves.
• The executive committee of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) has given in-principle approval for a year of pilot implementation.
• This decision follows data-driven identification of forest divisions with high conflict zones, where ~30% of India’s tiger population resides.

Scope and Implementation of the Pilot Scheme

• Initially, 80 forest divisions across 10 states have been shortlisted for funding under the scheme.
• These divisions were identified based on the frequency and severity of human-tiger conflicts in recent years.
• Key objectives of the pilot scheme include:

• Strengthening monitoring systems through technology.
• Capacity building of forest staff to manage conflict.
• Partnering with civil society organisations and expert veterinarians.
• Supporting prey base augmentation to reduce livestock predation.

• The scheme will be implemented at the ground level by the Chief Wildlife Wardens of state forest departments in collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• The NTCA is currently finalising the list of eligible divisions and has been asked to submit revised, year-wise financial estimates before final approval by the CAMPA governing body.

Underlying Causes of Human-Tiger Conflict

• Tigers outside designated reserves often inhabit agricultural landscapes or forest fringes near human settlements.
• These areas lack the dedicated protection mechanisms available within official tiger reserves.
• Being apex predators and territorial in nature, tigers often push other predators like leopards into human spaces, escalating conflict risk.
• Notably, some of the major conflict hotspots include:

• Chandrapur near Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra
• Sugarcane fields around Dudhwa and Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh
• Forest divisions near Ranthambore, Rajasthan
• Wayanad, Kerala

• Between 2020 and 2024, 382 people were killed in tiger-related incidents, with 111 deaths recorded in 2022 alone. These numbers underscore the urgent need for proactive and well-resourced intervention outside traditional protected zones.

Institutional and Policy Framework

• The pilot scheme is financially backed by the National CAMPA, which manages the Compensatory Afforestation Fund.
• This fund consists of payments collected in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purposes and has been used in the past for wildlife initiatives such as the Great Indian Bustard recovery and Project Cheetah.
• CAMPA’s involvement ensures the utilisation of existing funds for a cause directly linked to forest and wildlife sustainability.
• The National Board for Wildlife, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had earlier discussed this scheme during its meeting in March 2025.

Government Support and Future Outlook

• Speaking at the India Conservation Conference held at the Wildlife Institute of India, Union Environment Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling man-animal conflict.
• Citing personal visits to conflict-prone areas like Dudhwa and Kabini, he acknowledged the complexity of managing tiger populations that venture outside reserves.
• The minister emphasised the importance of adopting a region-specific approach, recognising that the dynamics of conflict and coexistence differ significantly between forest types and human settlements.