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Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
'It's not about how many Tigers—it's about where they thrive': A conversation with L Krishnamurthy, APCCF (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh, often hailed as the "Tiger State of India," has consistently topped national charts in tiger numbers. But with this success comes the responsibility of managing growing populations, ensuring ecological balance, and mitigating the challenges of human-wildlife conflict. The rapid diversion of forest land for non-forest use, encroachments into corridors, and climate-linked pressures add further complexity to conservation work in the state. In this context, P Naveen spoke with L Krishnamurthy , Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Madhya Pradesh. In this candid interview, Krishnamurthy outlines the forest department's current focus areas—from strengthening corridors and habitat management to leveraging technology and empowering communities—and offers insights on the road ahead for tiger conservation in the state. Q-How many are too many? When it comes to tiger numbers in the state, what is Madhya Pradesh's target population? A -We can't fix the numbers. The department is focusing on consolidating the landscape through protection, habitat management, corridor management, and community engagement in wildlife conservation. That said, we still have some tiger reserves and forest areas, like the proposed Omkareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, where more tigers can be supported. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If You Eat Ginger Everyday for 1 Month This is What Happens Tips and Tricks Undo The main focus is on landscape consolidation rather than chasing a specific number. Q- How many tigers can Madhya Pradesh realistically support without leading to excessive human-wildlife conflict? A-Tiger numbers can be estimated based on the ecological carrying capacity of each tiger reserve and protected area. However, it's equally important to consider the social carrying capacity—that is, the willingness and ability of communities to coexist with large carnivores. Our goal is to keep tiger populations connected through functional corridors, which helps reduce conflict in and around tiger reserves. Q- What plans are in place to manage the tiger population as it approaches the state's ecological carrying capacity? A-Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, we have expanded our network of protected areas by adding new tiger reserves and sanctuaries. We've also developed comprehensive strategies including the State Wildlife Action Plan, a State Elephant Management Plan, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in wildlife monitoring and conflict reduction. We're also promoting ecotourism, creating livelihood opportunities, and running awareness programs. Each tiger reserve has a Tiger Conservation Plan, and protected areas are governed by detailed Management Plans. Q. The State of India's Environment 2025 report by CSE states that Madhya Pradesh has diverted the highest amount of forest land (38,553 hectares) for non-forest use. How much of this diversion occurred within designated tiger corridors or ecologically sensitive zones? A -In cases where land is diverted from within corridor areas, we receive equivalent revenue land under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) provisions. Additionally, mitigation measures are implemented to ensure that wildlife movement is not disrupted, following the recommendations of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The proportion of land diverted from within Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs) and tiger corridors is a small fraction of the total—excluding Panna, where we've taken a landscape-level approach with the Greater Panna Landscape Management Plan. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
‘Not number but where tigers thrive matters'
Madhya Pradesh — often hailed as India's 'Tiger State' — leads the nation in tiger numbers. But with this success comes the challenge of managing a growing big cat population, maintaining ecological balance, and tackling persistent human-wildlife conflict. Adding to the complexity are rapid diversions of forest land for non-forest use, encroachments into key corridors, and the mounting pressures of climate change. In this context, P Naveen spoke with additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), MP, L Krishnamurthy. In a candid discussion, he outlined the department's focus areas — from strengthening corridors and improving habitats to using technology and empowering communities — and shared his vision for the state's tiger conservation journey. Excerpts from the interview… How many are too many? When it comes to tiger numbers in the state, what is Madhya Pradesh's target population? n We can't fix the numbers. The department is focusing on consolidating the landscape through protection, habitat management, corridor management, and community engagement in wildlife conservation. That said, we still have some tiger reserves and forest areas, like the proposed Omkareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, where more tigers can be supported. The main focus is on landscape consolidation rather than chasing a specific number. How many tigers can Madhya Pradesh realistically support without leading to excessive human-wildlife conflict? n Tiger numbers can be estimated based on the ecological carrying capacity of each tiger reserve and protected area. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Unsold 2021 Cars Now Almost Free - Prices May Surprise You Unsold Cars | Search Ads Learn More Undo However, it's equally important to consider the social carrying capacity — that is, the willingness and ability of communities to coexist with large carnivores. Our goal is to keep tiger populations connected through functional corridors, which helps reduce conflict in and around tiger reserves. What plans are in place to manage the tiger population as it approaches the state's ecological carrying capacity? n Under the leadership of the chief minister, we have expanded our network of protected areas by adding new tiger reserves and sanctuaries. We've also developed comprehensive strategies including the State Wildlife Action Plan, a State Elephant Management Plan, and the use of Artificial Intelligence in wildlife monitoring and conflict reduction. We're also promoting ecotourism, creating livelihood opportunities, and running awareness programs. Each tiger reserve has a Tiger Conservation Plan, and protected areas are governed by detailed management plans. The State of India's Environment 2025 report by CSE states that Madhya Pradesh has diverted the highest amount of forest land (38,553 hectares) for non-forest use. How much of this diversion occurred within designated tiger corridors or ecologically sensitive zones? n In cases where land is diverted from within corridor areas, we receive equivalent revenue land under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) provisions. Additionally, mitigation measures are implemented to ensure that wildlife movement is not disrupted, following the recommendations of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). The proportion of land diverted from within Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZs) and tiger corridors is a small fraction of the total—excluding Panna, where we've taken a landscape-level approach with the Greater Panna Landscape Management Plan. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
28-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
TNGASA lookalike website clickbaits students applying to govt arts colleges
COIMBATORE: Students are left in a flurry of confusion while applying online for postgraduate courses at Tamil Nadu Government Arts and Science Colleges (TNGASA), as a doppelganger website will pop up, probably in an attempt to poach some clicks off the official portal. Lakhs of students visit the website during admission time, said sources. If you type 'TNGASA' on search engines, two domains will appear, the official one with '.in' extension and a lookalike with '.com' extension. The Directorate of Collegiate Education's (DCE) lethargy to purchase domains with other extensions is blamed as the reason behind the confusion. Students applying for Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions also face a similar plight, with sources from DCE admitting that someone also purchased the '.in' domain, which will appear in the second spot on search engines. Officers who manage the portal did not purchase any domains except '.org', they added. P Deepak, a student in Coimbatore, told TNIE, 'Recently, I searched for the TNGASA website to apply for a postgraduate course. On it, two websites with the same name, TNGASA, appeared. When I hurriedly clicked on the second website, which had a '.com' domain, except for the admission process, there were details of all arts and science colleges with advertisements offered by Google.' An assistant professor at a government college in Salem said several students who completed Class 12 faced the same trouble. A web developer, P Naveen from Coimbatore, said that the DCE should have purchased other domains such as '.com', '.net' and '.org. 'Since the department failed to do this, someone could have purchased the '.com' extension and then launched and operated a website with the same name. Practically, it is legal. The fault rests with the department, which neglected to acquire the domains priced under Rs 5,000 annually,' he said. Government departments should form new websites with a '.gov' name, which would prevent private entities from misusing such websites, he added. 'When a second website appears with the same name, a large number of students will definitely visit the same website organically. Through this, the owner of the website can earn more money using Google AdSense,' he explained.
