3 months after nod, Sundarbans 2nd largest tiger reserve only on paper
Times of India | 19 November 2025
Kolkata: With the Supreme Court, in a judgment on Monday, ordering states to demarcate core and buffer areas in the tiger reserves within six months, the Bengal forest dept officials said they were awaiting a copy of the judgment as a similar move is on the cards for Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR), to which 1,044 sq km was added recently, making it the second largest tiger reserve in India after Andhra's Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
Despite the National Board for Wildlife, led by the Union forest, environment and climate change minister, clearing the state's proposal three months ago on Aug 19 and releasing the minutes of the meeting in Sept first week, the Unesco World Heritage Site remains the second largest tiger reserve only on paper.
A senior forester, who didn't want to be quoted, said that officially STR is still spread over 2,585 square kilometres. "Only after the state issues a formal notification, we can call it India's second largest tiger reserve with an area of about 3,629 sq km. After that, the core-buffer demarcation will happen. So, as of now, we don't think we come under the ambit of the SC judgment," he added.
CJI B R Gavai-led SC bench issued a slew of directions on Monday to strengthen the existing regime of tiger conservation.
The new areas added cover tiger bearing zones of Matla, Raidighi and Ramganga ranges under South 24 Parganas forest division.
Principal secretary of state forest dept and head of forest force (HoFF), Debal Roy, said they were yet to get a judgment copy. Asked about the notification in respect of Sundarbans, he said it would happen in due course.
Former HoFF of Bengal, Soumitra Dasgupta, who's now one of the directors of multi-country coalition, International Big Cat Alliance, said that during his tenure as STR field director in 2014, he had prepared the proposal putting the additional area in the buffer zone of STR. "Possibly, there are some speculations over livelihoods and change in land-use pattern after the area comes under STR. But, a formal notification putting the 1,044 sq km are in the buffer zone will put to rest such speculations, as it won't hit fishing activities or livelihoods. From the Centre's end, all papers have been cleared, now it's up to the state to notify it," he added.
"This consolidation will bring all tiger-bearing mangrove forests under the unified command of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, which, in turn, will speed up implementation of National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines and bring uniformity in management," the state proposal had read.
"This is the future of tiger conservation on the landscape. We should utilise the opportunity under the unified tiger protection protocol," said Joydip Kundu, state wildlife advisory board member.