NEW DELHI: 50 per cent out of a total of 58 tiger reserves in India are yet to notify their Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ). Notably, the government has not declared any new ESZs since 2025.
An ESZ is a protected buffer area surrounding a tiger reserve that acts as a "shock absorber," regulating development activities and minimising human-wildlife conflicts.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reviewed the status of ESZ notifications for all 58 tiger reserves in the country. Of these, 29 tiger reserves (50%) have notified their Eco-Sensitive Zones, while 29 are still awaiting final ESZ notifications.
Rajasthan has the highest number of tiger reserves without notified ESZs, followed by Assam, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
The government has stated that the pending notifications are at various stages of consultation, expert examination, and proposal submissions.
In its report, STRIDES 2026, it is noted that although more than half of the tiger reserves do not have notified ESZs, the information received indicates that the majority are actively progressing through different stages of the notification process, including proposal submissions, publication of draft notifications, public consultations, and examinations by the Expert Committee.
The years of notification for the tiger reserves with ESZs range from 2012 to 2024, showing continued progress in ESZ notifications over the past decade.
The report also analyses the legal and governance framework for tiger reserve management, which includes the status of Forest Rights Act (FRA) applications, ESZ notifications, and voluntary village relocation from Critical Tiger Habitats.
It highlights community participation and conservation education as essential aspects.
The report assessed FRA applications in tiger reserves and found that 32 reserves have successfully resolved claims, while 26 reserves still have pending applications.
Notably, Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve has reported the highest number of pending FRA applications (53,688) out of a total of 83,765 pending applications across all reserves.
Other states with significant pending applications include Amrabad Tiger Reserve (6,852), Kanha Tiger Reserve (6,048), and Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (3,549).
In reviewing village relocations, a significant number of villages (742) and families (97,786) continue to reside within Critical Tiger Habitats.
