Having successfully translocated tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Rajasthan government to address the “structural problems” that led to the extinction of the big cats.
The translocation exercise will be rendered fruitless if the structural problems are not solved, Mr. Ramesh has said in a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Sariska has the immense potential of being a role model for tiger conservation in India, and a successful example of collaboration between the Centre and the State, he said, soliciting Mr. Gehlot's personal intervention.
Of the several issues that need to be “addressed urgently for ensuring the integrity of the Sariska ecosystem,” Mr. Ramesh has sought immediate relocation of villages from the core or critical area with Central assistance. Of the 11 villages, only one has been relocated.
