After a 15-month break, the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) will assemble soon to consider critical issues related to the impact of Cyclone Tauktae and planned initiatives.
The board of directors, who last convened on September 28 of last year, will meet again on December 16. This would be their first meeting under the supervision of Bhupendra Patel, who was just appointed chief minister.
The board members will focus on animal management and conservation measures as a result of Cyclone Tauktae. According to Shyamal Tikadar, chief wildlife warden of Gujarat and member secretary of the board, proposals in the eco-sensitive zone will also be discussed.
“Tauktae destroyed a big number of trees in Gir sanctuary,” stated a member of the board. “A plan must be developed to clear lakhs of fallen trees that represent a threat to wildlife, especially Asiatic lions.”
According to the member, the exercise will be far larger than what occurred after the 1982 cyclone in the Asiatic lion landscape. An estimated 28.1 lakh trees were uprooted during the disaster. The forest department is currently conducting a survey to assess the amount of trees felled by Tauktae.
The board will also consider a resort project near the Gir reserve. The board members rejected the proposal for Wildwood Resort and Realities Pvt Ltd at the September 2020 meeting on the grounds that it was inside the sanctuary’s 1km radius, where no commercial activity is authorised.
The resort’s owners filed an appeal with the Gujarat High Court, claiming that the property was located outside of the eco-sensitive zone. In addition, the marketers claimed that the board overestimated the distance between the resort and the sanctuary.
The court asked the board to take up the issue at its December meeting in an order dated November 26. “After hearing from all parties involved, have a discussion about it. Make the right decision and direct the state government appropriately “According to the court.