Environment & ClimateImportant2025-08-19

Sundarbans Becomes India's Second Largest Tiger Reserve

Why focus: GS3 Environment. Tiger reserve expansions are highly testable. Sets up Map-based or Match-the-Following MCQs on reserve boundaries.

In News

What Happened

On August 19, 2025, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) approved the expansion of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal. By integrating the Matla, Raidighi, and Ramganga forest ranges, approximately 1,044 sq km were added to the reserve. This expansion increased its total area to 3,629 sq km, officially making it India's second-largest tiger reserve.

Why It Matters

This expansion provides a larger, contiguous protected habitat for Royal Bengal tigers, which are uniquely adapted to the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem. It strengthens India's conservation framework under Project Tiger and aids in mitigating human-wildlife conflict by extending the reserve's regulated buffer and core zones.

Background

History & Context

The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve was originally established in 1973 as one of the first nine reserves under Project Tiger to protect the region's unique mangrove-dwelling tiger population. Over the years, increasing tiger populations and rising instances of human-wildlife conflict along the forest fringes necessitated extending the protected boundaries. The recent integration proposal submitted by the West Bengal Forest Department was cleared by the NBWL, a statutory body constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

What Changed

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Total Area: BEFORE the expansion, the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve covered an area of 2,585 sq km. NOW, it spans 3,629 sq km following the addition of 1,044 sq km.
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National Ranking: BEFORE, it was smaller than several other major reserves in the country. NOW, it is the second-largest tiger reserve in India, trailing only the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh.
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Protection Status of Ranges: BEFORE, the Matla, Raidighi, and Ramganga forest ranges were ordinary territorial forests with standard protections. NOW, they are fully integrated into the Tiger Reserve, receiving stringent protections and funding mandated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This development is a direct application of concepts found in Class 10 Geography Chapter 2, 'Forest and Wildlife Resources'. It illustrates the ongoing implementation of 'Project Tiger' and the role of statutory bodies like the NBWL in executing the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 to conserve critical ecosystems.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and its recent expansion? 1. With the addition of the Matla, Raidighi, and Ramganga ranges, it has become India's largest tiger reserve. 2. The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), which approved this expansion, is a statutory body chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

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