The Chhattisgarh government has officially notified the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve, bringing the state’s total to four. The new reserve, named ‘Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve,’ is now India’s 56th tiger reserve, covering an area of 2,829.387 square kilometres. This includes a core area of 2,049.232 square kilometres spread across Korea, Surajpur, Balrampur, and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur districts.

The notification, issued by the Forest and Climate Change Department on November 4, was shared on Monday by the state’s public relations department. In August 2024, the Chhattisgarh cabinet had approved the proposal to designate Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.

Union Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav congratulated the state through a post on X, saying, “Let the roars get louder! As India continues to touch new milestones in tiger conservation, we have notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla in Chhattisgarh as the 56th tiger reserve. Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve is spread over 2,829 sq km. India continues to work towards a green future where humans and animals cohabit in harmony. Congratulations, Chhattisgarh!”

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also celebrated the milestone, calling it a moment of pride for the state. In his post on X, he wrote, “Congratulations Chhattisgarh! The declaration of Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla as the 56th tiger reserve of the country is a moment of pride and joy for the entire state. This tiger reserve will be helpful in conserving tigers and wildlife, along with marking a historic step towards a greener and brighter future for the state and the nation.” Sai also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bhupender Yadav for their “visionary and impactful initiative.”

Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve now ranks as the country’s third-largest tiger reserve. It is only surpassed by the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh, which spans 3,296.31 sq km, and Assam’s Manas Tiger Reserve, with an area of 2,837.1 sq km.

The newly notified reserve is strategically significant, forming a landscape complex of nearly 4,500 sq km with the contiguous Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. It also connects to the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to the west and the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand to the east.

Situated within the Chota Nagpur and Baghelkhand plateaus, the reserve features diverse terrains, dense forests, and water bodies that create a favourable environment for tigers and other species. A survey by the Zoological Survey of India documented 753 species from the reserve, including 365 invertebrates and 388 vertebrates. This includes 230 bird species and 55 mammal species, many of which are threatened.

With the addition of Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla, Chhattisgarh now has four tiger reserves, joining Indravati (Bijapur district), Udanti-Sitanadi (Gariaband), and Achanakmar (Mungeli). The state aims to strengthen tiger conservation efforts under the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s Project Tiger, which provides financial and technical support.

As Bhupender Yadav aptly noted, the move is a step toward ensuring a green future where “humans and animals cohabit in harmony.”