Madhya Pradesh Plans Its First Conservation Reserves

Through its amendments. While there are 115 conservation reserves across the country (maximum 33 in J&K, 21 in Rajasthan, 17 in Karnataka and 15 in Maharashtra), MP, which has nine tiger reserves, has no conservation reserve yet.

- ANURAAG SINGH

While proposals for two reserves have already been sent by the forest department to the state government for approval, the third one is on the drawing board, a senior official at the state forest department told TNIE. The official said, the conservation reserve in Raghogarh, adjacent to Rajasthan, is planned to come up in around 200 sq km area. Once a reality, it will offer systematic protection to wildlife species, including blackbucks, wild cats, leopards, wild boars and peacocks, besides other species like jackals and foxes.

Protection of wildlife species will particularly be possible, as there will be regular and systematic patrolling by the forest department staff in the area. With blackbuck poaching reported from the same area in 2022, the conservation reserve could not only be a long-time viable effort for the management and conservation of the wildlife species there, but also boost wildlife tourism, opening the possibility of income and employment for the local population.