NAGPUR: The state-level committee on identifying critical wildlife habitat (CWH) on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to proposals from nine sanctuaries to initiate the process of public consultation to formally declare these areas as CWH.
On Tuesday, the committee met at Van Sabhagriha under the chairmanship of principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Maharashtra, DC Pant. Additional PCCF PJ Thosre, CCFs Nandkishore, AK Saxena and panel member Kishor Rithe were present. The meeting was attended by over two dozen wildlife officials from the state. This was the panel’s third meeting in three years. It last met on August 10, 2009.
Pant stressed the need for early meetings as CWH deals with creating inviolate spaces for wildlife, including the flagship species tiger. Talking to TOI, Pant said proposals of nine sanctuaries were cleared for the second stage of identifying CWH. The protected areas (PAs) include Phansad, Tansa, Koyna, Radhanagri, Katepurna, Dhyanganga, Painganga, Chaprala and Bhimashankar.
“We also considered new proposals from Bor, Tipeshwar, Yawal and Aner sanctuaries. Proposals of two PAs, Kalsubai and Nandura-Mayureshwar, were only discussed,” Pant said. To speed up the process of relocating villages, a decision was taken to form a subcommittee. CCFs and DyCFs will be chiefs and member-secretaries respectively. Some PAs have been told to resubmit their proposals by August 30.
“We will review the proposals by November 10,” Pant said. Eight areas, including 3 tigers reserves — Pench, Tadoba-Andhari and Melghat, Wan, Ambabarwa and Narnala sanctuaries, and Gugamal national park have been declared critical tiger habitats
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/9-PAs-move-a-step-ahead-to-be-critical-habitat/articleshow/6290920.cms
