This virtual globe helps us understand the magnitude of fragmentation between protected areas, and the possibility or impossibility of mending these disconnects. At present, these tiger reserves provide excellent ecological nuclei totalling around 10,000 sq km in Central India covering Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the source population of tigers.
These protected areas support, though fragmented, natural linkages with several other wildlife protected areas in the region, and the connectivity between Kanha and Pench, Kanha and Achanakmar, Kanha and Bhoramdeo, and Pench and Satpura is promising and can be taken up for restoration and conservation.
Speaking over the same, Abheek Ghosh a budget traveller and environmentalist shared, “Connectivity conservation can be used as a tool with ample scope for fostering eco-regional development to complement all the conservation initiatives undertaken so far for protecting and managing source populations of tigers in protected areas.”
To be noted here, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has made an impressive start with the restoration of the Kanha-Pench corridor and has also involved the expertise of some reputed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as the World Wide Fund for Nature-India, the Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Wildlife Trust of India, Royal Bank of Scotland, and the Foundation for Ecological Security.
At present, the landscape between Kanha and Pench provides by far the most promising biological linkage. Starting from Kanha, the corridor moves westwards, turns south for some distance and again continues westwards to join the Pench Tiger Reserve.
Talking about the seriousness of forest department towards these corridors, Sartaj Singh, Minister for Forest stated, “The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has already prepared an excellent and ambitious management plan for this corridor, which has a total length of around 155 km and varying widths, and passes through different forest divisions and districts of the State/.”
The landscape between Pench and Satpura also offers a good linkage for animal movement. The corridor begins from Satpura and moves south-eastwards to link the southern part of the Pench tiger reserve. The length of this corridor is around 170 km and it is more fragmented than the Kanha-Pench corridor. A substantial part of this corridor, however, passes through beautiful forested landscapes of varying gradients and contour levels. The management plan for this corridor, which needs immense planning and meticulous restoration prescriptions, is already under preparation.
Another promising linkage lies in an inter-State landscape between Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The 90-km-long corridor begins from Kanha, moves slightly northwards and then in a north-easterly direction, and joins Achanakmar. The linkage is restorable, and inter-State planning or an arrangement between the forest departments is required.
The Phen Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and the Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh are adjacent to the Kanha Tiger Reserve and enjoy good linkages that need to be repaired and maintained continuously. These wildlife sanctuaries are also linked to the Kanha-Achanakmar corridor.
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