Prime Minister on his 72nd birthday on Saturday launched the project Cheetah at Kuno National in Madhya Pradesh, in an ambitious effort to reintroduce the feline in India seven decades after it was declared extinct in the country. PM Modi’s 72nd Birthday LIVE Updates
Top quotes:
◈ ‘Today, the Cheetahs have come back to our land after decades. On this historic day, I want to congratulate all Indians and also thank the government of Namibia. This could not have been possible without their help’.
◈ ‘Project Cheetah is our endeavour towards environment and wildlife conservation.’
◈ ‘It is unfortunate that we declared cheetahs extinct from the country in 1952, but for decades no meaningful effort was made to rehabilitate them. Today, in the nectar of independence, now the country has started rehabilitating cheetahs with new energy.’
◈ ‘People will have to show patience and wait for a few months to see these #Cheetahs in Kuno National Park. These Cheetahs have come as guests, unaware of this area. For them to be able to make Kuno National Park their home, we’ll have to give these Cheetahs a few months’ time.’
◈ ‘Following international guidelines, India is trying its best to settle these cheetahs. We must not let our efforts fail.’
◈ ‘Nature and environment, animals and birds, for India is not just about sustainability and security. For us, it is also the basis of our sensibility & spirituality. Today, India of the 21st century is giving a message to the world that economy and ecology are not conflicting fields’.
How Modi Govt’s Efforts to Conserve Wildlife Brought Results
► The coverage of Protected Areas which was 4.90% of country’s geographical area in 2014 has now increased to 5.03%. This includes an increase in Protected Areas in the country from 740 with area of 1,61,081.62 sq.kms. in 2014 to present 981 with an area of 1,71,921 sq.kms.
► Forest and tree cover has increased by 16,000 square kms in the last four years. India is among few countries in the world where forest cover is consistently increasing
► There has also been an increase in number of community reserves. From just 43 in 2014 their numbers are more than 100 in 2019.
► India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 Sq Km area in 18 States with approximately 75% population of the wild tiger at global level. India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022. The Tiger Population in India has increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.
► The budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.
► The population of Asiatic Lions has shown a steady increase with a population of 674 individuals with an increase rate of 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rate so far) from the 523 lions in 2015.
► India now (2020) has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014. More than 60% increase in population has been recorded.
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