Exactly two years back on the occasion of the International Tiger’s Day, a rise in the population of tigers in
India from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018 was celebrated as a shining example of success of wildlife
conservation in general and tiger conservation in particular. This was later accompanied with the release
of the report– “Status of Tigers, Co-predators & Prey in India 2018”. The condition of tiger habitats in the
country, however continues to degrade with every clearance being mechanically accorded by various
statutory committee –Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), Regional Empowered Committee, Standing
Committee of National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) and Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). There is
almost no consideration of the fact that such diversion will have impact on Tiger Habitat. The obsession
with numbers seems to hind the grim reality that faces the tiger.