BANGALORE: The Union government has selected the ‘Bhadra Tiger Reserve’ as one among six tiger reserves of the country for launching its ambitious ‘M Stripe’ programme with a view to protect the surviving tiger population in the country.
This programme is being implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi. The programme aims to monitor tigers, intensive patrolling and ecological status. The programme will be formally launched for the first time in the country at Muttodi in Bhadra Tiger Reserve with a two-day training programme for forest personnel on February 14 and 15.
The Centre is spending `1 crore exclusively on the Bhadra Tiger Reserve as part of the conservation programme.
All the guards in the Reserve will be provided with equipment which acts as a GPS as well as a mobile phone. The cost of each equipment is around `8,000 to `10,000. All 56 guards in the Reserve will be given these operator-friendly gadgets. The new equipment will help in locating the movement of tigers, other animals, ecological status of the Reserve and poachers.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) B K Singh told Express that this training programme will go a long way in strengthening monitoring system of tigers and intensifying patrolling in the entire Reserve to check infiltration of poachers inside the sanctuary.
This gadget has come at a time when the guards were complaining of difficulties in exchanging information with their fellow men. Hopefully, communication will improve hereafter, he added.
Singh said, “The National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken several measures to conserve tiger population in the country. The ‘M Stripe’ is one such programme. In Karnataka, Bhadra Tiger Reserve is the only selected tiger reserve for this programme.