NBWL approves 1,044.68 sq.km expansion of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (3,629.57 sq.km), India’s 2nd largest after Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam.

In August 2025, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) chaired by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, approved West Bengal’s proposal to expand the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR).

      - The integration of Matla, Raidighi, and Ramganga ranges from South 24 Parganas added 1,044.68 sq. km of critical mangrove habitat into STR. This ensures ecological connectivity for tiger movement and protection of estuarine biodiversity.

      - The expansion positioned STR at 3,629.57 sq. km, ranking second in size among India’s Tiger Reserves after Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (3,727.82 sq. km).

      - The decision strengthens resource allocation by enabling dedicated central funding, NTCA-backed monitoring technologies, and advanced anti-poaching frameworks.

Main Point :-   (i) Newly added 1,044.68 sq. km spans mangrove forests of South 24 Parganas, a key buffer against cyclones and sea-level rise in the Bay of Bengal.

      (ii) Latest census recorded 101 tigers in the landscape, with 80 inside STR and 21 in adjoining forest divisions outside reserve limits.

(iii) Sundarbans gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1987 and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve tag in 1989, reinforcing its global conservation value.