Currently, the population of the Great Indian Bustards is seeing a massive decline, and there are just 300 of them in the country. Considering the scenario, the taskforce will include NGOs, experts (from Vidarbha, Pune and Nashik), academicians and officers from the forest department. "It will be a multi-disciplinary team. They will look into the various problems of GIB conservation and suggests methods for its improvement," Kadam said.
Recently, the Supreme Court had passed an order to reduce the area of the Great Indian Bustard sanctuary at Nannaj in Solapur district from 8,496.44 sq km to 1,222.61 sq km.
The minister said for creating public awareness on the importance of GIB among the local people, a book on GIB information will be released, which will also be distributed among schoolchildren. He said similar habitat management for the breeding of the bird species, created in the core areas in Nannaj, will be taken up in other places as well. For this, other core areas will to be identified.
On the issue of the shortage of forest guards, Kadam said, "There will be recruitment of 1,600 forest guards in the state. The staff strength will be increased for monitoring wildlife sanctuaries. The recruitment power is vested on the committee headed by the chief conservator of forest (territorial)," he said. Read the full report here.
Source: Dipannita Das, TNN, Pune.
