Modification in Sariska Tiger Reserve Boundaries

Modification in Sariska Tiger Reserve Boundaries

Why in News Modification in Sariska Tiger Reserve Boundaries? 

Recently, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved Rajasthan’s proposal to redraw Sariska Tiger Reserve’s boundaries. This change expands the core area (Critical Tiger Habitat – CTH) while reducing the buffer zone. 

Details of the Approved Changes by the Wildlife Board

• • The Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan has seen a significant change in its official boundaries. 
  • In July 2025, India’s wildlife authority officially approved changes to Sariska’s boundaries as part of a structured conservation plan.
  • The adjustment alters both the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) and the buffer zone, aiming to improve wildlife conservation while considering the development needs of nearby regions. 
  • This boundary update follows the Supreme Court’s directive, aiming to bring more clarity and scientific accuracy to protected area limits.

• Core Area Expansion: The most significant change in the new plan is the expansion of the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH). 

• • • The core area is meant to remain free from human activities like grazing, tourism infrastructure, and any form of settlement. 

• The core area, which is legally designated as a strictly protected space under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, has increased from 881.11 square kilometers to 924.49 square kilometers. 

• This expansion adds over 43 square kilometers of land to the most secure zone of the reserve.

• Buffer Zone Reduction: The buffer zone of the reserve has been reduced from 245.72 square kilometers to 203.2 square kilometers. 

• This means that some areas that were previously considered part of the reserve’s outer protective ring are no longer classified under the same protection level.

• • The buffer zone is typically used for eco-development activities, community participation, and regulated tourism. 

What Triggered the Boundary Modification?

• Supreme Court’s Directive: In a key order passed in April 2023, the Court directed state governments to rationalise the boundaries of all Protected Areas (PAs), including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves. The aim was to make these boundaries more scientific and legally sound.

• Conservation Conflicts: The existing boundaries of the Sariska Tiger Reserve had long created issues. Some areas within the buffer zone included villages, agricultural fields, and road networks. Human-tiger conflicts had also increased in certain parts of the buffer zone between 2018 and 2022.

• Field Assessments: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and state forest departments had conducted field surveys between 2021 and 2023. These studies suggested that a few areas in the buffer zone played a critical role in maintaining tiger corridors and prey bases. Based on these findings, officials proposed to redraw the boundary.

• Alignment with National Conservation Goals: The boundary revision aligns with the broader goals of India’s conservation policies under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines.

Overview of the Sariska Tiger Reserve

• Location: Sariska Tiger Reserve lies in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, located in the northeastern part of the state. The reserve is part of the Aravalli hill range, one of the oldest mountain systems in India. 

• The terrain here includes dry deciduous forests, grasslands, rocky hills, and valleys.
• The reserve covers a total area of approximately 1,200 square kilometers, including both core and buffer zones. 

• Background: The land that now houses the tiger reserve once served as the royal hunting estate of the Alwar kingdom.

• • • Sariska earned its status as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, marking the beginning of formal protection for its natural ecosystems.
    • Later, due to increasing concern about tiger populations, it was upgraded to a tiger reserve in 1978 under the central government’s Project Tiger initiative, which began in 1973.
    • Sariska became the first reserve in India where tigers were reintroduced through relocation from another reserve (Ranthambore) between 2008 and 2010.

• Ecological Significance: Sariska plays an important ecological role as it lies in the Aravalli landscape, which serves as a natural corridor for wildlife movement. 

• • • Its vegetation includes species like Dhok (Anogeissus pendula), which covers nearly 90% of the forest canopy. 
    • Other tree types such as Ber, Tendu, and Acacia also thrive in this region. 

• Biodiversity: The reserve holds a population of Bengal tigers, which serve as the apex predator and symbol of its ecological strength.

• • Besides tigers, Sariska also houses leopards, striped hyenas, jungle cats, jackals, wild boars, nilgai, sambar, chinkara, and langurs.

Ecological and Conservation Impact of the Boundary Modification

• Strengthening Core Habitat for Tigers: The expansion of the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) now falls under stricter conservation rules, which prevent any human interference. This change is especially important for tigers, which require undisturbed space for hunting, breeding, and territorial movement.

• Improved Ecological Connectivity: This reconfiguration reduces the risk of habitat fragmentation. It also links ecologically rich zones that were previously under weak protection. Such steps ensure that both apex predators and herbivores can migrate safely.
• Meenala Block Inclusion: The updated boundary also includes the Meenala block, a previously excluded 85.44-hectare area that held ecological importance but lacked legal protection. This land now comes under the reserve’s official map, offering uniformity in management and enforcement.
• Conservation Gains: It also opens the door for resuming some stalled mining projects near the reserve. Over 50 marble and dolomite mines had been shut down under a Supreme Court ruling in 2024 due to their proximity to the older core zone. The committee has clearly stated that development activities that harm wildlife must be avoided.