Megamalai Reserve Will Acquire Rs 4.25 crore Regarding The Project Tiger scheme In Tamil Nadu

Under the Project Tiger scheme, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved a funding of Rs 4.25 crore for the newly constituted Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR). The Centre and the Tamil Nadu government would split the remaining Rs 1.38 crore equally. The remaining funds will be split between the Union and State governments, with the Union providing 60% and the State providing 40% respectively.

Rajendra G Garawad, Deputy IG of Forest leading the Project Tiger, stated that throughout the current fiscal year, the first installment of Central share to the Tamil Nadu government will be Rs 1.17 crore. After an assessment of the effectiveness of the work andthe remaining quantity of the Central aid will be granted. The leftover Rs 1.38 crore would be distributed equally between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government. The rest of the money will be shared between the centraland state governments, with the union government contributing 60% and the state government providing 40%, correspondingly.

However, the NTCA's quick disbursement of cash within months of the TN government establishing the reserve, according to the official, demonstrates how important SMTR is for the preservation of flagship species. He went on to say that the mostly deserted forested habitats of Srivilliputhur might serve as great shielding grounds for Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) tigers and genetic interchange grounds for Anamalai tigers.

Meanwhile, the recently created reserve is home to approximately 18-20 tigers, with the number expected to climb as the PTR population in Kerala disperses. Having an area of above 1 lakh hectares, SMTR is Tamil Nadu's fifth-largest tiger reserve.