A committee of monks in Girnar, Junagadh, has demanded the scrapping of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) status for the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, which houses 54 lions. The demand, made ten years after the ESZ was notified, is part of a list of 60 demands submitted by the Girnar Sanrakshan Samiti to facilitate religious activities without restrictions.
Background of the ESZ
The Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 2008 and located about 50 kilometers from the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, was declared an ESZ in 2016 due to an increase in the lion population in the hills and forest. The protective status aims to balance conservation with limited human activity.
Demands of the Samiti
The Samiti organized a rally in Junagadh and submitted a memorandum listing 60 demands, several of which conflict with sanctuary regulations. Key demands include:
- Electricity connections at all Sanatan sites
- Permanent permission for annual festivals
- Construction of roads and installation of an 11 kV power line up to the Dattatreya peak
- Exclusion of the entire area from the ESZ
- Exemption of religious sites from forest rules, claiming they existed prior to regulations
- Permission for night stays and regular religious gatherings
- Use of plastic bags within the protected area for carrying milk and water
- Allocation of 200–250 acres of land for the annual Maha Shivratri fair
Conservation Concerns
The demands have raised concerns among wildlife conservation groups and forest department officials. A forest officer, requesting anonymity, stated, “This is a critical wildlife habitat. From just four lions in 1999, the numbers have swelled to 54 due to sustained conservation efforts. Any relaxation will directly affect wildlife and increase the risk of man-animal conflict.”
Conservation activist Bhushan Pandya added, “Such demands are incompatible with sanctuary norms. Any relaxation would require approval from both state and national wildlife authorities.”
The ESZ serves as a buffer zone to protect the fragile ecosystem and minimize human-wildlife conflict. Removing or relaxing these protections could have severe impacts on the habitat and the lion population.
