Pench Tiger Reserve starts dairy project in buffer zone of forest areas

The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra's Nagpur district has started a cooperative dairy project in its buffer zone to enhance the livelihood of people living there and reduce the pressure on the protected forest, officials said.

Under the project, 40 high-yielding milch cattle have been distributed in Awaleghat, Makardhokda and Chargaon villages and a milk collection centre has been established at Awaleghat, a release by Pench tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, deputy director Prabhu Nath Shukla said on Saturday.

Apart from helping the villagers earn more, the move is also aimed at stopping cattle from grazing in the forest by promoting stall feeding and reducing potential conflicts with wild animals, he said.

The Pench reserve, which derives its name from the river Pench, is spread over 741.41 square kilometres. At last count, it had 41 tigers, said officials.

Shukla said the project has come up with funding of Rs 25 lakh from the Forest Development Corporation Of Maharashtra under its