NTCA favours declaring Karnataka's MM Hills as tiger reserve: Centre

The ministry issued guidelines in 2012 for management of tigers & their habitats along with advisories and standard operating procedures to prevent such incidents, a minister said.

The Centre on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that the SIT constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to probe the death of five tigers in MM Hills wildlife sanctuary had suggested that the sanctuary should be declared a tiger reserve.

Minister of State for Environment and Forests Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to a question by Jaggesh of the BJP, said that as per the SIT’s findings, the tigers were killed by feeding them cattle carcass laced with pesticide.

The minister said that earlier, the environment ministry had advised Karnataka to notify M M Hills as a tiger reserve to ensure real-time monitoring of tigers besides using digital tools like M-STRIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers, Intensive Protection and Ecological Status).

“The same has been reiterated by the SIT in its probe report,” the minister said in his written answer.

The ministry issued guidelines in 2012 for management of tigers & their habitats along with advisories and standard operating procedures to prevent such incidents, the minister said.

The Centre said a total of 44 persons were killed due to human-wildlife conflict in Karnataka in 2024-25.

Replying to BJP’s K Narayana, Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said that a total 298 persons had been injured due to animal attacks in the same year. A total of 18 persons have died due to tiger attacks between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

Minister for Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply to Lahar Singh Siroya (BJP), told the Rajya Sabha that his ministry sanctioned total Rs 132 crore funds to take up infrastructure improvement in various tourist destinations in Karnataka between 2023-25.  
 
The minister said funds had been sanctioned for development of pilgrimage amenities at Chamundeshwari temple, Mysuru, development of Renuka Yellamma temple, improvement of basic amenities at Papanash temple in Bidar, setting up of travellers’ nooks at Hampi, tonga ride heritage experience zone and ecological experience zone in Mysuru.  

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Lok Sabha that in Karnataka, a total of 94 hoax bomb threats were received by airlines from 2021 to July 2025. No arrests have been made in connection with this, he said.

Replying to a question by Chitradurga Lok Sabha member Govind Karjol (BJP), the minister said as per the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), a total of 881 hoax bomb threats had been received by airlines from 2022 to 20 July, 2025.