MP CM Yadav inaugurates Ratapani Tiger Reserve

Bhopal, Dec 13 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday inaugurated the Ratapani Tiger Reserve in Raisen district, which will be named after renowned archaeologist Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar.

Yadav expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting permission for the reserve, which will further enhance forest and wildlife in the state.

"Among all state capitals in the country, Bhopal is the only one with Ratapani Tiger Reserve in its backyard. The reserve will be named after noted archaeologist Vishnu Wakankar, who is credited with the discovery of Bhimbetka rock caves, a world heritage site," the chief minister said after inaugurating the eighth tiger reserve of the state.

Bhimbetka is situated in the Ratapani reserve forest area.

The chief minister inaugurated the reserve from the Jhiri gate in the presence of Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda.

Yadav said the ninth tiger reserve will soon be notified.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved nine tiger reserves in the state, but the state government has yet to notify Madhav Tiger Reserve, an official said.

Yadav said that the Ratapani reserve will increase employment opportunities for locals.

A motorbike rally was organised to highlight the importance of this achievement.

He said the reserve has created great potential for tourism activities in Bhopal. Hotels, lodges and other tourism facilities will provide employment, skills and entrepreneurial opportunities.

The state government is also ready to extend all possible cooperation in this direction, he said.

Yadav said the Ratapani Tiger Reserve should be developed as the best reserve, and Madhya Pradesh already boasts of having the coveted status of a tiger state.

A senior forest official said Ratapani has always been home to tigers, and the sanctuary has now been upgraded to a reserve.

There was a steady increase in the number of tigers in the Ratapani Sanctuary, making the area an important habitat for tigers.

Ratapani was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1976. It is home to tigers and many other wild animals. This is where people will be able to see the diversity of nature up close, the official said.

The total area of Ratapani Sanctuary in Raisen and Sehore district is about 1,272 sq km. Of this, 763 sq km is the core area, where tigers can roam freely without any human intervention, the official said.

The remaining 507 sq km are buffer zones, which will be used for local communities with some restrictions.

As per the report "Status of Tigers: Co-predators & Prey in India-2022", released by the NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of 785 tigers in the country, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560).

Kanha, Satpura, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Sanjay Dubri, Panna and Veerangana Durgavati are other tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh. PTI MAS ARU