Rajasthanis poised to establish its fifth tiger reserve. The expert committee led by the chief wildlife warden has submitted its proposal tothe NationalTiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for officially designating the Karauli-Sarmathura-Dholpur sanctuary areas as Dholpur Tiger Reserve (DTR).
The forest department claims that the committee has effectively addressed the concerns raised by the NTCA. The expert committee, tasked with defining the boundaries of the proposed DTR, has identified the core or critical tiger habitat and the buffer or peripheral area surrounding the reserve.
According to the primary proposal, the tiger reserve will span 1,058 sq km, including 368 sq km of core area and 690 sq km of buffer area. Of the proposed core area, 197 sq km and 170 sq km are located in the Karauli and Dholpur districts, respectively. Additionally, a small portion of forest in Bharatpur district has been included in the proposed tiger reserve.