Pune: 28.44 Sq Km Area In Bhor Declared Conservation Reserve Forest

Mumbai/Pune, 6th June 2022: A total of 28.44 sq km in Bhor taluka of Pune district has been declared as a conservation reserve. 

Approval was granted to declare 12 new conservation reserves admeasuring 692.74 sq. km and 3 sanctuaries including extended Lonar at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray here today. 

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What is Conservation Reserves

Conservation reserves and community reserves in India are terms denoting protected areas of India which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India. Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India but used for subsistence by communities and community areas if part of the lands are privately owned.

These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 − the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. These categories were added because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land, and land use.

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Similarly, approval was also granted to construction in Jaikwadi birds sanctuary for the Aurangabad water supply scheme. Directives have been issued to submit the proposal in this regard to the National Wildlife Board at the earliest.

Chief Minister Thackeray directed to take the villagers in forest areas in confidence and hold talks with them regarding the compensation to be given to them and also about their rehabilitation.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray presided over the 18th meeting of the State Wildlife Board held today at Varsha government residence. State Environment and Climatic Changes Minister Aditya Thackeray, MP Vinayak Raut, CM’s Principal Advisor Sitaram Kunte, CM’s additional principle Secretary Ashish Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Forest B Venugopal Reddy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Forest Force Chief) Nagpur, Y. L. P. Rao, Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife) Sunil Limaye, Additional Principal Chief Forest Conservator (Wild life, West Mumbai) Clement Ben, Director Sanjay Gandhi Udyan Mallikarjun, MD of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Jayashree Bhoj, members of the wildlife board, experts and district collectors of the state were present through videoconferencing,

Chief Minister Thackeray said that talks should be held with the people living in forest areas about their rehabilitation. Look at their problems. Give priority to the safety and security of wildlife. A comprehensive thought should be applied to any proposal of development in forest areas and sanction need not be given only on the basis of surveys. Presentations for such projects should be made before the concerned persons, members of the wildlife board, and committees.

So far, 15 conservation reserves are notified in the state, and 8 out of them have been given approval in the last two years. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction as 12 more are added to the list.

Chief Minister Thackeray exhorted about the Jaikwadi water supply scheme and said that early sanction should be granted to emerging wells and water supply schemes in Jaikwadi Bird Sanctuary.

Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray said that care should be taken to safeguard the pathways of wildlife, especially in the sensitive tiger project areas while approving the forest road development works. Discussion should be held with the villagers living in reserved forest areas about the development works. Involvement of NGOs, experts, etc. should be sought while taking decisions on development proposals and discussions should be held with them, he added.

Solution to the problems of wild elephants in Dodamarg

Directives were issued to study the problems of wild elephants in Dodamarg in the Sindhudurg district to make permanent arrangements to end the problem. Directives are also given to prepare a proposal seeking an increase in compensation for damage caused by these elephants. Discussions were also held on stopping the entry of pachyderm into Ajra, Chandgarh, Tilari areas and assuring the farmers there.

12 new conservation reserves in Maharashtra

Among the 12 new conservation zones declared today two are in Dhule district (Chivatibawari 66.04 sq. km and Alaldari 100.56 sq. km), four in Nasik district (Kalvan 84.12 sq. km, Muragad 42.87 sq. km, Tryambakeshwar 96.97 sq. km, and Igatpuri 88.499 sq. km), two in Raigad district (Raigad 47.62 sq. km, Roha 27.30 sq km), Bhor in Pune district (28.44 sq. km), Dare Khurd (Mahadare) Butterfly (1.07 sq. km), Masai Pathar in Kolhapur district 5.34 sq. km, and Mogarkasa in Nagpur district (103.92 sq. km.

3 new reserved forests in the state

Proposal to grant reserved forest status to Mukatai Bhavai reserved area, Kolamarka, and Extended Lonar area as wildlife reserved forests.

10 endangered wildlife domiciles declared

Sanction granted to declare 10 endangered wildlife domiciles in the state today. They included Mayureshwar- Supe (5.145 sq. km), Bor (61.64 sq, km), Navir Bor (60.69), Extended Bor (16.31), Narnala (12.35), Lonar wildlife sanctuary (3.65), Gugamal National Forest (361.28 sq. km), Yedshi Ramlingghat wildlife sanctuary (2.17).

Various development proposals in the reserved forest areas and environmentally sensitive areas were approved in the meeting. The book “Living with Leopard” was released at the outset.