Nepal, India to sign trans-boundary treaty

The Himalayan

Ramesh Prasad Bhushal

KATHMANDU: The country is celebrating the National Tiger Day for the first time tomorrow.
The celebration is aimed at raising awareness on saving the endangered big cats whose wild population is decreasing at an alarming rate.
According to the studies, tiger population has decreased from 100,000 to 3,200 in the last 100 years, sounding the alarm bell that if the population continues to decline in this rate, soon these graceful animals will cease to exist in the wild.
Nepal has also declared the year as the International Tiger Year. Besides Nepal, Bangladesh also is celebrating the National Tiger Day tomorrow. Nepal is one of the 13 countries where wild tigers are found.
According to 2008/ 09 tiger census, Nepal currently boasts of 121 adult breeding tigers.
The government marking the Tiger Day will be signing a resolution on Trans-boundary Biodiversity Conservation with the government of India tomorrow. “This is the first time that we are signing the conservation document on trans-boundary issues with the government of India, which will ease the dealings on trans-boundary issues as Nepal’s national parks are linked with those of India,” said Gopal Prasad Upadhyay, Director General, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
According to DNPWC, Deputy Inspector General of National Tiger Conservation Authority-India SP Yadav will be in Kathmandu to attend the signing ceremony. “Our long-time effort to sign the deal has come to fruition finally. This will consolidate our efforts in biodiversity conservation,” added Upadhyay.
Most of the national parks of Nepal in the Tarai are linked with the conservation areas and national parks in India. “Wildlife reserves are directly linked with those in India and these are important habitats for rhino and tiger,” said Shanta Raj Jnawali, Director, Tarai National Trust for Nature Conservation.