Uttarakhand to add two more tiger reserves to its tourism portfolio

Uttarakhand will likely be home to two new tiger reserves soon. The State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), headed by Chief Minister TS Rawat, has given his nod to develop Nandhaur Wildlife Sanctuary and Surai Range of Terai East.
As per the news reports, the forest department will send detailed reports to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Referring to this development, Digvijay Singh Khati, chief wildlife warden, said, “Uttarakhand will now have four tiger reserves. This would mean protection of tigers and employment opportunities for locals.” During the initial stage of this process development, State Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat had doubts and was not so sure about declaring Surai range as a tiger reserve. However, the SBWL officers then convinced him by informing that there will be more funds and protection available for the conservation of tigers in this region.
The officials also mentioned that with the opening of these tiger reserves, tourism in this part of the country will get a boost, which will open more livelihood opportunities for the locals.
The hill state is already popular for Corbett Tiger Reserve, which attracts lakhs of tourists every year. This reserve also boasts of having the highest density of tigers in the country. Reportedly, the latest report based on the last annual estimation, the tiger count is 240 in this reserve.

The officials related to this project further informed that the revenue generated from these sanctuaries and national parks in Uttarakhand will be used for managing and developing the respective entities.