Three years on, India’s cheetah reintroduction struggles with poor science, delays, and missed grassland goals. In September 2022, the arrival of eight cheetahs from Namibia to Kuno National Park was hailed as a conservation milestone. Five months later in February 2024, 12 more spotted cats arrived from South Africa. The initiative, branded Project Cheetah, carried lofty ambitions. It aimed not just to restore the world’s fastest land animal to India’s landscapes, but to revive open natural ecosystems (ONEs) — the grasslands, scrublands, and savannahs that are among the country’s most neglected habitats. By reintroducing a top predator, policymakers hoped to spark wider conservation attention, diversify India’s wildlife portfolio beyond tigers and forests, and make ecological amends for a human-caused extinction. The Cheetah Action Plan set out a clear roadmap: import 5–10 cheetahs annually for a decade, create a metapopulation across multiple states, secure and restore grassland hab...
Two national parks of Central India forming one of the largest tiger corridors have been victims of India Railways’ apathy. The railways are adamant to lay a third track in Palamu tiger reserve and second in Sanjay Dubri national park ,part of Bandhavgarh-Sanjay Dubri –Guru Ghasidas and Palamu tiger landscape. It is spread over 25000 sq km with an estimated population of over 74 tigers. Many more Indian jungles including Melghat tiger reserve in Maharashtra, Gir in Gujarat and Rajaji national park in Uttarakhand where railway lines criss cross the core zones of the forests.
Third Track in Palamu Will Ruin The Tiger Reserve
The issue of railway tracks inside the core area of national park was highlighted again after death of a breeding tigress in Sanjay Dubri tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh earlier in March this year orphaning her four cubs. One of them died a few days later. Railways are adamant to lay a second track in this park. Over three hundred kms away in Jharkhand, Indian railway is ready with its plan to have a third track in Palamu tiger reserve (PTR). Existing double lined railway track along Son Nagar -Patratu, already bifurcates core habitat of North division ( of the tiger reserve) in two halves, making it almost impossible for large mammals and reptiles to migrate from one side to other. There have been incidents of death of wild animals while crossing railway tracks, Jharkhand government told the High court in Ranchi. A third railway line along the existing double line railway track is underway along this route. Unlike the Madhya Pradesh government that had given green signal to the second track in Sanjay Dubri national park, the Jharkhand government has refused. It has also disapproved of railways functioning, raising questions whether Indian railways care for forest and environment.
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Citing two cases, a vision document of the state government for the revival of tiger population in Palamu said ,” The issue ( of railway third track) was raised by PTR administration and an alternative route was proposed along the periphery of PTR, so as to avoid fragmentation of core habitat. A meeting under the chairmanship of Chairman, Railway Board was held on January 13, 2020. The meeting was attended by member secretary, NTCA, ADG Wildlife. In this meeting, it was decided to undertake a survey involving the forest department, state government and Railway. The survey would look into the feasibility of laying of railway tracks along the proposed alternate route or to assess and propose any other route so as to avoid fragmentation of core habitat of PTR.”
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It further said,” The joint survey, however, was done and railways after conducting unilateral survey in an utterly opaque manner, reported that the alternate route as proposed by PTR management is not feasible.”The issue didn’t stop here. The vision document highlighted another meeting and its outcome. The meeting was attended by senior forest department officials and those of the railways on February 2021 discussing some “bottlenecks “and their solution. “However, no communication has been received from Railways and it went ahead with its original alignment running through the core area of PTR. It has applied for Wildlife Clearance for laying of rail tracks and a proposal is pending before the State Board for Wildlife for consideration”, the document said. It also sought “intervention at government level”.
Railways Contradicts Its Green Claims
Indian railways might have been taking many green initiatives including net-zero emission by 2030 to become the world’s first 100 per cent green railway, the insistence of the conglomerate to go ahead with the railway lines in protected forest areas depicts an altogether different picture. Its claims of planting lakhs of saplings and other green initiatives, portrays a poor picture of the institution. Tracks inside the tiger reserves have already wreaked havoc, further expansion of railway lines will impact the ecology of the parks beyond imagination.
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For laying a second track in Sanjay Dubri tiger reserve , the railways cites a deal done in 1969 before the forest and wildlife conservations laws came into force when it had purchased a piece of land that later became part of the protected area of Sanjay Dubri national park. Both in Sanjay- Dubri and Palamu, the railways have been given alternatives to take out the lines outside the protected area but it is adamant to construct the iron tracks inside the national parks, contradicting its own claims of going green in the times of climate change.
Representational images , banner image courtsey: Nature inFcous
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