Nagzira — Navegaon Reserve Area in Maharashtra To Be Expanded

An earlier plan to include only the existing area of Nagzira and Navegaon in a proposed tiger reserve, has been shelved in favour of a new and better one, by adding more areas and creating a 556.12 sq km reserve. This will be done by including adjoining forests that come under the territorial wing and the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). Thus, an additional area of 117.68 sq km will be added to Navegaon and 151.75 sq km will be added to Nagzira. The earlier proposal had said that the core area of the existing sanctuaries will be converted into a tiger reserve and the adjoining areas would serve as a buffer zone. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) chief M K Ranjitsinh had asked the then Union Minister, Jairam Ramesh to scrap the curtailed proposal and return it to the state. Nagzira — Navegaon is not only home to tigers but is also a vital link between Pench, Kanha and Tadoba and even Indravati. It is already under serious threat from 1980 MW coal-based Adani power project in Tiroda, which is just 8.5 km from the boundary, and the four-laning of NH6 from Deori to Lakhni.

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