Sariska pushes village relocation to Jaipur, Dausa to expand tiger territory

Jaipur: The forest administration at Sariska Tiger Reserve has launched a renewed push to create larger inviolate spaces for tigers through the voluntary relocation of villages from within the reserve.

As part of the ongoing negotiations under the rehabilitation process, several families have expressed their willingness to settle in Jaipur and Dausa districts. Following this, the forest dept has written to the revenue dept seeking suitable land in both districts for their rehabilitation.

A senior official said that nearly 80 families from Kankwari village have sought land in Jaipur district and have also conveyed that, in the event of non-availability of land there, they may be shifted to Dausa instead. “The families residing within the forest reserve have agreed to relocate to neighbouring districts outside Alwar. Following this, correspondence has been initiated with the revenue dept to facilitate their rehabilitation,” the official said.

Land was earlier identified in Laxmangarh for the relocation of Deori village, which comprises nearly 125 families. However, the proposed site falls under forest land, delaying the process. “The land issue related to Deori village is expected to be resolved soon. Simultaneously, efforts are underway to identify alternative parcels of land at other locations as well,” the official added.

Similarly, residents of Haripura village have expressed their preference for relocation to Thanagazi instead of Tijara. The village comprises around 40 families, following which land has been sought from the revenue dept accordingly.

Residents of Dera village, meanwhile, have agreed to relocate to Tijara, and the rehabilitation process has already been set in motion. Forest officials said that once these six villages are fully relocated, nearly 450 sq km of forest area would become free of human habitation, significantly expanding potential tiger territory within the reserve.

The relocation exercise is also underway in 11 other villages. Sariska currently has 29 villages within its landscape, of which Bhagani, Rot Kyala, Umri, Babli and Pani Dhal have already been completely relocated, freeing nearly 200 hectares of forest land.

Subsequently, the process began for relocating villages including Kraska, Haripura, Sukola, Deori, Kankwari and Nathusar. While nearly half the population in these villages has already shifted, close to 500 families are still seeking land at locations of their choice.

“The tiger population in the reserve has now crossed 50. Efforts are continuously being made to create larger inviolate and disturbance-free habitats to support long-term conservation and territorial expansion,” officials said.