Project Name | Mandal Dam Project |
Location | Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), covering parts of Garhwa, Latehar, and Palamu districts in Jharkhand. |
River | North Koel River, a tributary of the Sone River. |
Status | Project originally conceived decades ago but remained non-functional due to local opposition and environmental concerns. |
Key Development | Jharkhand government approved relocation of seven villages in the submergence zone. |
Villages to be Relocated | Kutku, Bhajna, Khura, Khaira, Saneya, Chemo, and Meral. |
Compensation | Each household to receive one acre of land and Rs 15 lakh as compensation. |
Relocation Area | To be developed as a model cluster for better living conditions. |
Environmental Impact | Vacated land will form a large water body, reducing human-animal conflict. |
Historical Context | Foundation stone laid by the Prime Minister in January 2019. |
Task Force | Set up in 2015 to speed up clearances. |
Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) | Located on the Chhotanagpur plateau, spread over 1,129.93 sq km. |
Betla National Park | Situated within 226.32 sq km of PTR. |
Forest Type | Sal forests, mixed deciduous forests, and bamboo groves. |
Watershed Area | For three important rivers: Koel, Burha, and Auranga. |
Establishment | Constituted in 1974 under Project Tiger; one of the first nine tiger reserves in India. |
Tiger Census | First sanctuary in the world to conduct a tiger census using pugmark counts in 1932. |
Keystone Species | Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, Grey Wolf, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Four-horned Antelope, Indian Ratel, Indian Otter, and Indian Pangolin. |