New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the tiger population in the country was on the rise and India, with around 3,000 tigers, was one of the safest habitats for the big cat. Modi added that the results would make every Indian happy.
“Nine long years ago, it was decided in St. Petersburg that the target of doubling the tiger population would be 2022. We in India completed this target four years early,” PM Modi said
On the occasion of International Tiger Day, Modi released the results of the fourth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation and said that the government has achieved a “historic feat” .
“India will build more homes for our citizens and at the same time create quality habitats for animals. India will have a vibrant marine economy and healthier marine ecology. This balance is what will contribute to a strong and inclusive India”, PM Modi added.
Further detailing the increase in the country’s green cover, he said. “In 2014, India had 692 Protected Area which have now increased to 860 in 2019. Similarly, community reserves have also increased from 43 in 2014 to over 100 now”.
The Tiger Estimation exercise is believed to be the world’s largest wildlife survey effort in terms of coverage, intensity of sampling and quantum of camera trapping. India conducts the All India Tiger Estimation every four years. Three cycles of the estimation have already been completed in 2006, 2010 and 2014.