 "Lions")
Reintroduction of Asiatic lions from Gir forests of Gujarat to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary of Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh will soon gain momentum. The state has already earmarked an amount of Rs 30 crore from its own resources for the project.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India R M Lodha rejected the curative petition filed by Gujarat government the other day.
Central government had initiated the project few years back to ensure safeguards to the endangered species from natural disaster, epidemics and other anthropogenic factors. The project named as "Reintroduction of Asiatic Lion" faced several hurdles including protest from Gujarat government as population of the Asiatic lion is found only in Gir forests.
The state forest minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar has said after rejection of the curative plea his government would now focus more on rehabilitation of the two villages and expanding the park area. "A total of Rs 70 crore approximately is needed to for rehabilitation of the two villages, we are waiting for the fund to be released from Central government soon," he said, "We already have resettled 24 villages from the sanctuary."
The Kuno sanctuary area is presently covers an area of 344 sq km with an additional 890 sq km buffer zone around it thus the total area of the sanctuary is 1,234 sq km. Supreme court had earlier on April 15, 2013 ordered to form a special committee to give a report following which the state needed to expand the sanctuary and two more villages are needed to be shifted from it.
