(IN) Asiatic Lion Update: Tussle over Gir lions reach Supreme Court

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Tussle over Gir lions reach Supreme Court

BASHIR PATHAN, Expressindia » Story, Indian Express Newspapers

Saturday , April 12, 2008

 

Gandhinagar, April 11 The two BJP-ruled neighbouring states of Gujarat and

Madhya Pradesh appear to be on a warpath once again on the controversial

proposal of shifting the world-famous Asiatic lions from the Gir forests to

Madhya Pradesh.

The contentious issue has now reached the Supreme Court through a Public

Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the apex court's intervention in the matter. A

Delhi-based NGO – Bio-diversity Conservation Trust – has filed a PIL in the apex

court urging it to direct the Gujarat Government to cooperate with Madhya

Pradesh to implement the Centre-aided project for transferring the big cats to

the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Sources in the Gujarat Forest Department said the Supreme Court held a hearing

on the PIL last Wednesday and asked the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to

send its comments on the issue.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Gujarat, Pradeep Khanna was

also rushed to Delhi on Wednesday to brief senior lawyer Mukul Rohtagi, who is

fighting the case on the state's behalf. A further hearing on the PIL is likely

to take place after the court vacation.

" Our lawyer has already argued against the PIL seeking the translocation of the

Asiatic lions from Gir to Kuno-Palpur. On my return to Gandhinagar, I have

apprised the CMO and also our Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel of the

developments, " Khanna told The Indian Express on Friday.

Forest Minister Patel said, " It's unfortunate that the issue is being raked up

again. I stick to my earlier stand that it is not possible to transfer the lions

to the Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary. I'll request the CM to take up this issue with his

MP counterpart and persuade him not to press for the relocation of the big

cats. "

" It seems the MP lobby in Delhi has become active again, pressuring all

concerned to ensure that the long-pending proposal for shifting the lions to

Kuno-Palpur is accepted by the Centre. But Gujarat will continue to resist this

move, " said a senior official in the CMO.

Arguing against the controversial proposal, the official said that it was not

practical to shift lions to the sanctuary, as the presence of tigers there could

trigger frequent clashes between the two large feline species. " In the wildlife

history, it is generally observed that tigers and lions can never co-exist in

the same territory, " he said.

Gujarat officials said the Madhya Pradesh government had mooted the proposal

over a decade ago without taking them, and also the local villagers in and

around Gir, into confidence. Besides, a large number of poachers found in MP may

pose a great threat to Gir lions if they are shifted there, they said.

" Gangs of poachers from the neighbouring state frequently come to Gir. Some of

them have also been arrested for involvement in poaching cases. In this

scenario, is it advisable to shift Gir Lions to Madhya Pradesh? " said an

official.

Wildlife experts in Gujarat are also against the proposal to relocate the lions

to the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary – the proposed " second home " being created there

for the felines under the Rs 25-crore project.

" The Kuno-Palpur sanctuary has a very inadequate prey-base, with only about

4,000 chitals, sambhars and other herbivores, while there are over 40,000

chitals and 12,000 other herbivores species like sambhar and nilgai here.

Considering this contrast, it is not advisable to accept MPs proposal, " said G A

Patel, a former member of the National Board for Wildlife.

 

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