Govt Allows Limestone Mining Near Gir Lion Sanctuary, But What About Safety Of Asiatic Lions?
Mining near Gir Lion sanctuary.
A committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest has allowed a private company to do limestone mining near Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, the only abode of the Asiatic Lion in the world.
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The 417 hectares of land where mining has been allowed is located 6.25 km from the sanctuary. The project has been allowed despite the Gujarat High Court has put a stay on the final notification of eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Gir Protected Area.
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife recommended the proposal of mining over a 417.35 hectare of land at Sugala and Jagatiya villages in a meeting on March 27 falling outside the Lion sanctuary, ¡°Along with the conditions and the wildlife mitigation measures stipulated by the State Chief Wildlife Warden¡±.
Usually, the ESZ limit is 10 km from the wildlife sanctuary, but the states have been asked to demarcate ESZ around all wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas.
