Itanagar, Oct 19: Following the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Arunachal Pradesh cabinet on Wednesday approved the constitution of a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for the three tiger reserves of the state: Namdapha, Pakke, and Kamlang.

As many as 336 regular posts will be created for this purpose.

“The STPF will be a dedicated and specialized force with its own structure and composition as required for tiger reserves. The force would comprise of one company of 112 personnel each for three tiger reserves, and each company would be distributed into three platoons and 18 sections,” according to the statement from the government.

The environmental activists have welcomed the decision and expressed their concern for the declining tiger population in Arunachal Pradesh.

The STPF will protect the tiger population and its habitat from poaching and human intervention.

According to the 2022 national tiger census, Arunachal Pradesh has a total of nine tigers in the three reserves, a decline of 20 tigers from the previous census done in 2018.

It is expected that the creation of a special force will lead to the protection of tigers and their habitats, the protection of wildlife habitats, the prevention of smuggling of wildlife articles, the protection and safeguarding of government assets in the reserves, and the scientific management of forests.

Sources said that due to poaching, the tiger population of Arunachal Pradesh has declined. The tribal people of the state have been involved in the poaching of tigers, but now they understand, and some of them have become conservationists.

Read: Centre’s yet another massive push for Palm cultivation in northeast

WATCH:

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/nemediahub