Project Tiger: India rejects US proposal

[Guest guest]

Link: aapn/post

 

NDTV Correspondent

 

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 (New Delhi):

 

The project to save endangered Indian tigers with American

cooperation has run into trouble.

 

The Indians have disagreed with US data on the Bengal tiger species,

which thwarted a deal Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was to sign in

July this year in Washington.

 

NDTV has learnt the US Department of State released a fact sheet

before discussing it with the Indians.

 

India's Environment Ministry has rejected the US fact sheet, which

said:

 

 

Both countries will address the sharp decline in Indian tigers.

Currently India has only 1200 to 1500 tigers.

During past 25 years, US contributed $15 million for tiger

conservation.

 

But the Environment Ministry said: " We strongly advise against the

joint agreement for tiger conservation programme at this juncture. "

 

Indian stand

 

 

No alarming decline in tiger numbers

Number of tigers is not as low as 1200

The US claim is not well founded

MEF is not aware of US help in the past

A bilateral agreement is not required

" We said that there is no decline - not an alarming one. There was

problem in Sariska but that does not hold true for other sanctuaries.

We had a survey done by IUCN using 45 criteria, " said Minister of

Environment and Forests A Raja.

 

Save the tiger has been Prime Minister Singh's pet project but

opening this up to other countries is seen as a minefield by many.

 

At least for now the proposal is on hold indefinitely.

 

The Ministry of Environment's main reason for rejecting the agreement

was the fact that tiger conservation in India needs country-specific

measures.

 

Unlike the US stand, in India the philosophy is of co-existence.

 

Animals, including tigers, often live in close proximity to human

habitations.