Context: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has warned that the construction of the Morand-Ganjal Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh will submerge a crucial tiger corridor between the Satpura and Melghat Tiger Reserves.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Questions based on conservation reserves i.e., Satpura and Melghat Tiger reserve.
About Morand-Ganjal Irrigation Project
- The project involves a dam on Morand and Ganjal rivers of Madhya Pradesh.
- The project was proposed in 1972, and got approved in 2017 by the Madhya Pradesh government.
- Benefits of project: Provide irrigation to 211 villages in Hoshangabad, Betul, Harda and Khandwa districts. The project will provide irrigation to over 52,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Environmental concerns raised by the Project
- Loss of vital Tiger habitat: The NTCA’s 2022 Tiger Estimation report confirms that the proposed project area is an active tiger habitat.
- Forest submersion: The dam construction will cause large areas of forest land to be submerged under water, which is a major wildlife corridor between Satpura and Melghat Tiger reserve.
- Disruption to wildlife movement: Tigers rely on connected forest migration and genetic exchange leading to:
- Reduced tiger population due to inbreeding, leading to risk susceptibility of pandemic in tiger population
- Increased human-animal conflict as displaced tigers might enter human population regions.
- Biodiversity loss, affecting other wildlife leopards, deer and smaller species.
Impact on Indigenous Communities
- The project will directly displace over 600 members of the Korku tribal community.
- The Korku tribe is an indigenous community in Central India that depends on forest for food, medical, plants and cultural practice.
- Loss of livelihood: Displacement will force tribals to leave their ancestral land leading to:
- Loss of traditional farming methods of tribals.
- Cultural erosion of tribals as they will be forced to relocate to unfamiliar areas.
- Social unrest: The possible relocation of tribals due to the project may lead to protests and social unrest.
Recommendation for the Project
- Alternative method: NTCA has suggested to the Madhya Pradesh government to explore the alternative site for the project to avoid the negative implications on wildlife.
- Tiger movement corridor: Alternate tiger movement corridors to be established for fostering the movement of tigers.
- Redesign project: The project can be redesigned by reducing reservoir size or use tunnel-based irrigation design.
- Implementing government review steps: The Forest Advisory Committee reviewed the project in 2025 and gave a proposal to divert 2250 hectares of forest land for the project.
- Rehabilitation of tribals: A fair compensation, alternative housing and providing livelihood training to tribals can help in rehabilitation of the displaced Korku Tribal community.
- Long-term methods: Promoting eco-friendly methods like micro irrigation, dry land agriculture and agroforestry can help in reducing the requirement of irrigation and promoting water-use efficiency.
About National Tiger Conservation Authority
- NTCA is a statutory body established in 2005 under the WildLife Protection Act, 1972.
- It is the overarching body focused on conservation of tigers in India.
- NTCA is administered under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Conservation Initiatives by NTCA:
- M-STrIPES to monitor tiger movement using technology.
- Tiger relocation program to reintroduce tigers to balance population.
- Community-based conservation by involving communities in habitat protection and sustainable livelihood.
Key facts about Tigers
- Tiger is an umbrella species. Its conservation automatically ensures the conversation of a large number of flora and fauna and entire ecosystems.
- India is home to 75% of the global tiger population.
- NTCA conducts a tiger census across India every 4 years.
- As per the latest Tiger Census Report (2022), India has 3682 tigers. (2967 in 2018)
- Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers (785) in India, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560).
- Conservation status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule 1
- CITES: Appendix 1
About Mentioned Tiger Reserves
- Satpura Tiger reserve (Madhya Pradesh)
- Geographical features: Hilly terrain, deep valet, sandstone peaks and dense forests
- Vegetation: dry deciduous forest, moist deciduous forests and grassland.
- Fauna: Bengal Tigers, leopard, sloth bear Indian giant squirrel, gaur and wild dog
- Rivers: Denwa river (main river), Sonbhadra and Nagdwari river.
- Melghat Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra):
- Geographical features include rugged hills, deep gorges and plateaus.
- Vegetation: Dry deciduous forest, teak dominated forests, and bamboo grooves.
- Fauna: Bengal tiger, leopard, Indian bison, sambar deer, porcupine, and Malabar pied hornbill
- Rivers: Tapti (main river), Khandu, Sipna and Gadga river.
A well-planned irrigation project should not come at the cost of tiger conservation and tribal displacement. The government must find a balance to protect both nature and livelihoods.