On Sun, 6/7/08, Rajesh Sachdev
From: Rajesh Sachdev
Subject: [hopethane] Maha Govt to approach SC for reducing bird sanctuary area
To: "BOB"
Date: Sunday, 6 July, 2008, 3:54 PM
MUMBAI:
This is a drastic climb down from the original proposal of the State Government in 1985 to have the sanctuary, spread in Solapur and Ahmednagar districts, in a 8,500 sq km area.
"The apex court has asked for a compliance report and next week, we will be making a submission before the Court, for limiting the sanctuary area to around 347 sq km", a senior Forest Department official said.
Vociferous protest by people's representatives in these areas, at a meeting in Pune recently, is among the reasons for reducing size of the sanctuary, whose core area is around Nannaj in Solapur district.
Forest Minister Babanrao Pachpute's appeal to drastically shrink the sanctuary, home to the endangered bird species, has been rejected by the apex court-appointed panel.
The committee, headed by V B Savarkar, had insisted that the state should retain at least 1,222 sq km area of the sanctuary to protect the rare bird.
The apex court has the powers to de-notify areas of the sanctuaries, under the wildlife protection laws.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Maha_Govt_ to_approach_ SC_for_reducing_bird_sanctuary_area/articleshow /3202661.cms
Regards
Rajesh Sachdev
Wild Mumbai Nature Conservation
"The tiger cannot be preserved in isolation. It is at the apex of a large and complex biotope. Its habitat, threatened by human intrusion, commercial forestry, and cattle grazing, must first be made inviolate." - Mrs. Indira Gandhi
