TNN Dec 20, 2011, 04.35AM IST
AHMEDABAD: In a reversal of sorts from recent trends, the Gujarat
government alloted 1500 hectares of revenue land in Kutch to the forest
department for the development of a habitat for the critically
endangered Great Indian Bustard. This land near the Kutch Great Indian
Bustard Sanctuary is spread across two square kilometres in Nalia taluka, which is a prime breeding ground for the species.
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) was up-listed to 'Critically
Endangered,' the highest level of threat, by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in June this year.
According to a report by the Union Ministry of Environment and
Forests (MoEF), population of the GIB has been falling very fast and the
bustards have disappeared from about 90 per cent of its range, while
about there has been a 75 per cent decline within three generations. "We
alloted 1500 hectare revenue land to the forest department recently for
conservation of GIB," said Kutch district collector M Thennarasan. This
has been done on the request of the forest department, he said. "Since
the Bustards like grassland we plan to develop natural grass land in the
area," Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) D K Sharma said.
"The
area alloted is presently not ideal due to agriculture activity and
human interference. We will first stop all agriculture and develop
grassland, as well as providing any other protection that may be
required," he said.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-20/ahmedabad/30537797_1_great-indian-bustard-revenue-land-bustard-habitat
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