Environmentalists
and wildlife activists have been alleging for years that illegal
commercial properties mushrooming around the Gir sanctuary are posing a
threat to the only home of Asiatic lions in India, but the state
government ignored them - till an anonymous letter informed the Gujarat
High Court.
Taking
a proactive approach, the HC on Monday converted the letter into a suo
motu petition and ordered the State Environment and Forests Department
to submit a detailed affidavit on the status.
The
affidavit, the content of which was available on Tuesday, has a list of
66 commercial and residential establishments around the buffer zone of
the lion sanctuary.
An anonymous letter to the High Court alleged that commercial establishments are posing a threat to lions in Gir (file picture).
The
state affidavit says: “It has come to the notice of the forest
department that certain hospitality units have been set up under the
garb of commercial and residential establishment adjoining (the) Gir
sanctuary and the department is looking into the issue in order to
protect the interest of lions.”
The
government submission before the high court said 66 properties in the
sanctuary’s buffer zone in Junagadh, Amreli and Gir-Somnath districts
were illegal and operated in complete violation of the existing norms.
The
forest department also admitted that a tourist resort being run by a
renowned hotel group in the area would now need to obtain a clearance
from the Ministry of Environment, since its lease had already expired.
No
forest official was willing to comment on the entire issue, pointing
out that the matter was now sub-judice and all explanations would be
given to the court.
The
HC has also taken serious cognisance of the contention in the anonymous
letter, which pointed out the Gujarat Government’s ambitious plan to
develop a new eco-tourism zone in the coastal region in Amreli district
on the outskirts of the Gir sanctuary.
To
the explanation sought by the high court about this eco-tourism plan,
the State Environment and Forests Department has claimed that the move
would not choke the lion corridor.
It
has argued that the lion movement was usually noticed between sunset
and sunrise while tourists visit the area during the day time.
The
government has buttressed its contention by pointing out that the
number of tourists in the sanctuary had risen from 1.30 lakh in 2006 to
over 4.58 lakh in 2013-14, but this had not disturbed the lion corridor.
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