An ongoing scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Project Tiger is India’s commitment towards saving the wildlife and restoring the population of tigers.
Tigers need to be protected. Not simply because they are majestic or have an arresting gaze, or that they are a photographer’s delight, or that they are a symbol of might and power. They are essential for maintaining the ecology of the entire forest-wetland ecosystem. If tigers became extinct, the forest ecosystem could be badly damaged. Forests are important water-catchment areas.
A dwindling tiger population could negatively impact trees and plant species. A concern for forest loss along with improper pollination, lack of temperature regulation and sparse rainfall led to the initiation of Project Tiger. Five decades of conservation has led to the increase in the tiger population from 1,800 in 1973 to nearly 3,000 today.
Project Tiger has also been converted into...