Five tiger reserves of Karnataka have been successful in ranking among the top 10 for the best maintained tiger reserves in India, as per an evaluation carried out by the Centre.
Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district has secured the second place among the best maintained tiger reserves in India, according to the fifth cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) report. However, it shares the second slot with Satpura Tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
Both Bandipur and Satpura tiger reserves have secured 93.18 per cent in the MEE report. The evaluations were carried out to observe how effectively the tiger reserve is managed.
Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala stands first in the list of MEE with a highest score of 94.38 per cent. Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Mysuru district is in the third place with 92.42 per cent. Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT Hills), in Chamarajanagar, is in fourth place with 91.67 per cent. Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Chikkamagalur is in the seventh place with 90.91 per cent, and Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada is at the 10th place with 90.30 per cent, according to the report.
The government has been using the MEE to assess tiger reserves across the country since its inception in 2006. The MEE report is prepared based on conservation management plans, activities, process, and results. This helps formulating a mechanism for preserving the forest system by making good use of local resources.
The expert committees conducted the evaluation at 51 tiger reserves in the country to give the MEE rankings.
As per the rating system, while 90 per cent and above is considered excellent, 75 to 80 per cent means the maintenance is very good, 60 to 74 per cent is good and 50 to 59 per cent fair.
However, no tiger reserve came under the 'poor' rating.