Lok Sabha Question No. 834 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: Tiger Deaths
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ASADUDDIN OWAISI, GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 834 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2017

## Tiger Deaths

## 834. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI: DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a  fact that at least 95 tigers have died and seizure of 22 tiger skins have been reported in the current year in different parts of the country and if so, the reasons therefor and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether there is sharp rise in poaching related fatalities in 2016 and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  due  to  delay  in  release  of  funds  by  the  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority (NTCA) to different tiger reserves proper care is not being taken by concerned reserves for the safety and security of the tigers; and
- (d) if so, the steps taken or being taken by the Government to release funds on time to save tigers in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) No Sir.  In the current year, only 11 tiger deaths have been reported by the tiger States so far and there is no seizure reported till date.  Out of the said tiger deaths, 6 are from the State of Karnataka, 2 each from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh and one from Uttarakhand.

Every tiger death is reported to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and tiger  States,  after  due  examination,  which inter  alia includes  forensic,  toxicological  reports from concerned organizations, besides post-mortem report as given by a team of veterinarians, submit final report depicting the cause of death.  In the NTCA Headquarters, report sent by the State is analysed at different levels and categorised as natural / unnatural case.

- (b) The poaching incidences in the year 2016 is slightly high.  The rise in 2016 is because of more seizures owing to concerted efforts of the NTCA / Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and field formations under the State Governments, besides involvement of other intelligence and enforcement agencies.  While in the year 2014 and 2015, 10 and 12 seizures were made respectively; in the year 2016, the number of seizures went up to 22.  Seizures made cannot be attributed as such to tiger death in a particular year.  Analysis of tiger mortalities taken place in the  country  during  the  last  three  years  due  to  poaching  excluding  seizures,  shows  that  the average number of tiger deaths due to confirmed poaching is 9 and the confirmed poaching case in 2016 is 12, which is marginally high.
- (c) No Sir.  There is no delay as such in release of funds to tiger reserves in the country.  The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) provides funding assistance to tiger reserves under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Project  Tiger  based  on  the  Annual  Plan  of Operations (APOs), submitted by the States.
- (d) A  web-based  application  software  for  online  submission  of  APOs  has  been  developed  in consultation with NIC which is going to be used from next financial year (2017-18).  The said web-based application will curtail the processing time.

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