Ek Tha Tiger to Tiger Zinda Hai to...PM Modi spells out what should be next. And it's not about Salman Khan movie!

Global Tiger Day 2019: "The story that started with Ek Tha Tiger and then continued with Tiger Zinda Hai, should not stop there," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, using names of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan's hit movies in a new context. Speaking on the occasion of  Global Tiger Day, PM Modi stressed that the story of tiger conservation must continue and should continue to a point where one can say "Baaghon mein bahaar hai" (garden is blooming). 

PM Modi also released the results of the fourth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation - 2018, at Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. As per the survey, the count of tigers in India, has risen to 2967, in 2018. PM Modi described this as a historic achievement for India, and reaffirmed India’s commitment towards protecting the tiger. He appreciated the speed and dedication with which various stakeholders worked to achieve this. 

The prime minister described tiger conservation efforts as one of the finest examples of "Sankalp Se Siddhi."

Once the people of India decide to do something, there is no force that can prevent them from getting the desired results, he said. 

The prime minister said it is possible to strike a healthy balance between development and environment. “In our policies, in our economics, we have to change the conversation about conservation,” he said.

The story that started with @EkThaTiger and then continued with @TigerZindaHai , should not stop there. It should be "Baaghon mein bahaar hai" : PM @narendramodi on a lighter note on the occasion of #InternationalTigerDay @PrakashJavdekar @moefcc pic.twitter.com/p04M8lIbaq

— PIB India (@PIB_India) July 29, 2019

In the last five years, while work has proceeded at a fast pace for next-generation infrastructure, the forest cover in the country has also grown. There has also been an increase in the “protected areas.” In 2014, there were 692 protected areas, which increased to more than 860 in 2019. The “Community Reserves” have also grown from 43, in 2014, to more than 100 now, the PM said.