Valmiki National Park, Bhar

The Valmiki National Park is a tiger reserve in the West Champaran district of Bihar. This reserve surrounds the Gangetic plains biogeographic zone.

The park is home to nearly 200+ bird species and various exotic and endangered animals, making it an ideal tourist spot. According to the Hindustan Times, the Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on 2^nd September 2021, declared that eco-tourism would be promoted in Valmiki Nagar.

This article enlists all the essential details on the national park that will be helpful to crack UPSC Prelims and the IAS exam.

Apart from the Valmiki National Park, there are various other habitats that have been created across Indian states to conserve wildlife, flora and fauna. UPSC aspirants can familiarise themselves with the other National Parks in India, by visiting the linked article.

Key Highlights of the Valmiki National Park in Bihar

Following are the key points on Valmiki National Park that can be helpful for UPSC and IAS preparation.

• Valmiki National Park received the rank of “Protected Forest” on 6th January 1953. It covers around 909.86 sq. km area.
• The Bihar Government took over the management of Ramnagar and Bettiah Raj forests in 1950 and 1952, respectively.
• As per a report released by the Hindustan Times on August 4, 2021, VTR is surrounded by 350 villages in the sensitive zone and 120 villages on its fringes
• This Tiger Reserve was removed under the State Forest Development Corporation protection in 1994, and was formed as the 18th reserve under Project Tiger of the Government of India.
• As of August 2021, VTR has eight ranges with 8% grassland and 22 water holes. There are nearly 400-450 bears, 98 leopards and 250-300 Indian Bison in VTR.
• Wild mammals found in the forests of Valmiki Tiger Reserve are Tiger, Sloth Bear, Leopard, Wild dog, Bison, Wild boar etc.
• There are nearly 32 reptiles in the forest, including cobra, python, krait, crocodiles, sand boa, gharials, monitor lizards, banded krait, etc.
• The Valmiki Nagar National Park is rich in flora and fauna. It contains a combination of forests like moist mixed deciduous forests without Sal, wet and dry Sal forests and tropical swamp forests without wet grasslands and reed beds.
• According to the Hindustan Times, the forest department of Bihar has spotted vulture nests in Gonaui, Bhikhna Thori, Harnatand and Madanpur areas of this reserve. The department has proposed a plan costing around ₹57.15 lakh to save Himalayan Griffon vulture.
• The US–WWF has designated the Valmiki National Park, Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal and Chitwan National Park as Level–1 Tiger Conservation Units due to low poaching pressure.
• The river Gandak borders this park on the west and enters India at Valmiki Nagar. It joins two rivulets, Pachnad and Sonha, to form the Triveni confluence.
• This park allows tourists to trek for 2-3 hours in selected areas. There are multiple watchtowers located at Bajani, Thori, Bherihari, Singha Sonbarsa and Bhaluthapa in this park.

All IAS aspirants must refer to the links given below and get answers to the common questions based on National Parks in India:

About the Tribes

The area surrounding the Valmiki Tiger Reserve National Park is rich in sociocultural diversity. Multiple communities reside in harmony in the region. Some of these are as follows.

1. 1. Tharu Tribe
      • There are lots of myths surrounding the Tharu tribe origins. They are believed to have resided in the eastern Terai since the 10th century.
      • Tharu tribes have Rajput origins who migrated from the Thar desert to Nepal.
      • This tribe includes individuals who are Theravada Buddhism believers and nature protectors. Their staple food comes from agriculture.
      • Their population is estimated to be around 2.5 lakh.
      • Tharu tribes consume pork, chicken, fish, snails and local liquor made from jaggery.

Read on to know more about the Tharu Tribe of India at the linked article.

1. Dhangar Tribe
   • The Dhangar tribe resides in the Valmiki landscape.
   • Lohra, Munda, Oraon and Bhuiya communities form the Dhangar tribe.
   • Each Dhangar tribe has a separate dialect and festivals.
   • The population count of the Dhangar tribe is around 0.5 lakh.

Besides the mentioned tribes, there are non-tribal communities like Baaji residing in this area. They work in small businesses or contribute to agricultural practices.

UPSC aspirants can also gather information about the history, background and life of other Major Tribes in India at the linked article.

What are the Latest Updates on the Valmiki Tiger Reserve National Park?

According to the Dainik Jagran, nearly 150 vulture species were located in protected areas of VT park during February and March 2021.

The State Government has planned to form a diclofenac-free zone for vulture protection in Nepal’s borders.

According to the Hindustan Times, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on 2^nd September 2021, announced promotion of eco-tourism. Valmiki Nagar in West Champaran will promote eco-tourism to spread awareness on environment and wildlife protection.

The mentioned details on Valmiki National Park will help UPSC aspirants to crack this exam. They can also follow study guides and educational portals for detailed information on where Valmiki National Park is and related queries.

The information related to wildlife conservation in the country and world constitutes an integral part of the Environment and Ecology and Geography section of the IAS Syllabus. Candidates must focus on such topics as questions based on the same are frequently asked in the prelims examination.

For any further information, latest exam updates study material or preparation tips, visit BYJU’S.