For Saurashtrians(Gujarat, India), “lions are like kin”

The people of Saurashtra(Gujarat, India) take care of lions as they would of their family members. If they spot a lion in the vicinity of their village, they take pride in the fact and protect it. These statements were made by the government in the assembly for the first time.

Minister of state for forests and environment Govind Patel – in response to a question from Nikol MLA Jagdish Panchal – informed the house that lions were found in many places of India, but they survive only in Gujarat owing to people’s conservation efforts.

“They are the pride of Gujarat and it was only because of the people of Saurashtra that the lion population grew,” Patel said.

“Even if lions attack cattle in villages, the villagers are tolerant of lions”.

Patel told the house that government has also created post of ‘van mitras’ who take care of the animal and keep a watch on the movement inside the sanctuary. He said 898 eco-clubs had been formed in the Saurashtra region.

Responding to a question Patel said that there were 411 lions – 97 males and 162 females – in the sanctuary. He further said that the state had created gene – pool centers. Five new cubs have been born in the last year at the Rampara Virdi centre. These cubs have been born to two pairs of lions captured from completely different areas and brought to Rampara to ensure that the genes different. These centre’s provide a shield against weakening genes of Gir Lions.

For example if the lioness was from Sasan (Gujarat, India), the lion would be from a far off area of Tulsishyam(Jungadh, Gujarat, India) or even Bhavnagar. The minister said that there have been no instances of villagers offering baits to lions in order to show the animals to visitors. However, he admitted that his department had penalized people caught on the spot to the tune of Rs. 93,000 to Rs 31,400.

Courtesy: Times of India.   

Indian High Court land deals in Gir lion Sanctuary periphery

Indian High Court stays land deals in Gir Lion Sanctuary, Sasan, Gujarat periphery

The Gujarat High Court has stayed land deals in the periphery of the lions’ den — the Gir Lion Sanctuary — as the issue of possession of land by non-Maldharis (nomadic herdsmen who live in the Gujarat state of India.) in the surrounding forest reserve is to be resolved before the division bench.

Earlier, a single-judge bench held that the land was allotted to Maldharis towards rehabilitation purpose. But since the land was sold to other people, it frustrates the purpose of conservation of forest and hence should be taken back by the forest department as per the Indian Forest and Wildlife Protection Act.

After declaring Gir Forest as Sanctuary, the Government in 1977 began shifting 845 Maldharis from the forest to the outskirts and allotted plots for their rehabilitation. Some 588 families were given land in the periphery of the Sanctuary. However, revenue department later allowed them to sell the land to non-Maidharis and 292 plots were sold out.

The Forest department said, those Maidharis who sold their land actually went back to the forest. Hence the purpose for allotting the land was defeated. As per the State Government’s declaration of the area as reserve forest, nobody except Maidharis should be allowed to stay or carry out non-forest activity on this land, which largely falls under the Mendarda block of Junagadh.

When the forest officials restricted one Anil Chudasama from construction on a land purchased in this area, he approached the authorities and later the High Court. While the Forest Department insisted that such people who have purchased land from the Maldharis should be evicted, the Revenue Department had another take on it.

Last year, justice MR Shah appointed advocate Amit Panchal as amicus curie, who submitted a report that such land needs to be taken back. Accordingly, Justice Shah held that Chudasama had no right to carry out construction or agriculture activity on the plot, though he was the third purchaser of the plot after the Maldhari sold it long ago.

The High Court accepted that the land falls under reserved Forest category. Moreover, Justice Shah also directed the Chief Conservator of Forest to inquire into the cases of 292 plots and decide as per the provisions of the forest act, which means that the land holding would be declared as illegal.

This had also an indication that the decision to allot land to the tribal in 1977 could be declared null and void. When this decision was challenged by Chudasama before a division bench, it ordered to maintain status quo on the land and clarified that the plot would not be sold without prior permission of the court.

“Don’t become prey to lions”: Chief Justice
While ordering a stay on land deals in the reserved forest surrounding the Gir Sanctuary, Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya called for maintaining a balance between development and nature. The Forest Department has been maintaining that the increased grazing has resulted in decrease of prey for lions in the forest. Moreover, the forest officials have also been insisting that the sale of plots allotted to Maldharis be declared illegal, and non-Maldharis be evicted from the place. However, the petitioner claims that he has been deliberately harassed by Forest officials due to other social consideration and his ownership of the plot is legal. To this, the Chief Justice commented, “Lions’ place has to be protected. You shift from the place before you become prey to lions.

Courtesy :- Times Of India, Friday 17th, December, 2010

It’s roaring biz for #GirLionSanctuary, Sasan, Gujarat, India.

In a Record in the last 15 year's, Gir Sanctuary Booked for Fortnight till November 15.

The roar of lions showcased by’ #Bollywood super star Amitabh Bachchan in the #GujaratTourism campaign seems to be yielding fruitful results for the Gir Lion Sanctuary in Gujarat, India.

The sanctuary has witnessed such a good response from the tourists that it is completely booked for the fortnight till November 15 — a record in the last 15 years for this only abode of the #AsiaticLion.

Ever since the sanctuary re-opened on October 15, 2010 on an average, 70 to 80 permits were issued daily. The upper limit for issuing permits was 90 permits per day.

However till November11, 2010 there is no room in Sinh Sadan and even the advance permits issued to casual visitors are over booked.

Officials said that of the 90 permits issued daily about 50 per cent were issued in advance. And now the first available advance permit is of November 15, 2010. According to officials, not just the Sinh Sadan, which is the official guest house of the forest department, but even hotel owners were having a great time. Of these 45 advance permits, over 25 were pocketed by the hotel owners.

Even #Devaliya, the #LionInterpretationZone, has also seen a rise in the number of tourists. It has been noticed that the number of schools coming here for picnics has seen a sharp rise. After visiting Devaliya, schools head for #SomnathTemple, one of the #Jyotirlingas.

Courtesy:- Times Of India, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. 3rd, November, 2010.