Efforts to conserve tiger get a fillip

Centre recognises fringe areas of NSTR as Eco-Sensitive Zone

In a fillip to the efforts to conserve the big cat in the country’s biggest reserve, Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), the Government of India has recognised the reserve forest area on the fringes of NSTR as an Eco-Sensitive Zone under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, ratifying the proposals sent by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. “This can be a major milestone in our tiger conservation efforts. We will intensify our efforts to further strengthen the ecological balance,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forest N. Prateep Kumar while addressing the 47th Eco Sensitive Zonal Experts Committee meeting held virtually on Tuesday. The NSTR is spread over an area of 3,727.82 sq. km in the Nallamala ranges of the southern Eastern Ghats. Most of the area is hilly terrain with plateaus, ridges, gorges and deep valleys, which support the tropical mixed dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests with an under growth of bamboo and varieties of grass species.