Critical Tiger Habitat:
The Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) of Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) is likely to expand by approximately 4,500 hectares following a rationalisation exercise mandated by the Supreme Court of India’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
- Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH), also known as core areas of tiger reserves, are identified under the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA), 1972.
- These are based on scientific evidence that “such areas are required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or such other forest dwellers”.
- The notification of CTH is done by the state government in consultation with the expert committee constituted for the purpose.
- These areas are kept inviolate (free from human activities) for the purpose of tiger conservation.
- The forests peripheral to CTH are notified as buffer areas, which act as a transition between CTH and non-tiger reserves.
- Central Empowered Committee (CEC) was set up in 2002 (reconstituted in 2008) by the Supreme Court.
- It served as a watchdog for issues pertaining to environmental conservation and compliance.
- In 2023, the Supreme Court transferred the CEC, to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
