Boundaries of Nahargarh sanctuary redrawn without Wildlife Board nod
Conservationists claim the move violates legal requirements, as the state submitted documentation and an updated map to the
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) on July 22 without obtaining the necessary approval from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), as mandated under Section 26A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
An affidavit filed with the NGT states that the sanctuary now covers 6,025.74 hectares across 16 villages, including three additional villages beyond the original 13 listed in 1980.
This is only the second instance since Sariska where Rajasthan has redrawn the boundaries of a protected area, raising concerns about the integrity of the notified boundaries.
Experts have cited the Supreme Court's decision in 2013 Centre for Environmental Law, WWF-India vs Union of India case, which mandated an NBWL recommendation before making any changes to protected area boundaries.
Environmental solicitor Vaibhav Pancholy criticised the revised map and said this includes areas qualifying solely as Reserved Forest while excluding the "Described Area" — comprising revenue lands owned privately and by public bodies — traditionally documented within the sanctuary's bounds.
He said, "The state forest department has unilaterally altered the boundaries. The new map was issued without obtaining the mandatory recommendation from NBWL, thereby diluting environmental safeguards and benefiting influential parties. Moreover, the no objection certificates issued on the basis of the earlier, allegedly inaccurate map, were neither revoked nor adequately addressed."
According to procedure, the forest department should officially withdraw the existing map of the sanctuary before notifying a map with the revised boundaries.
RTI activist Rajendra Tiwari alleged, "Last year, the NBWL standing committee refused to grant wildlife clearance to a hotel project built on ESZ land, and demolition orders were issued. Several such establishments have come up within the sanctuary and ESZ in connivance with forest officials. The state is setting a dangerous precedent by tampering with ecologically sacrosanct areas. This entire exercise appears aimed at protecting violators.
"
A committee member involved in preparing the new map, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that when the sanctuary was notified in 1980, the boundary descriptions were "grossly approximate." Over the past 45 years, significant topographical changes and extensive urbanisation have occurred along the original boundary. To address this, a detailed GIS-based mapping exercise was undertaken using high-resolution satellite imagery and data from sources such as e-Dharti, the Settlement Department, DoIT, and State Remote Sensing Application Centre.
"The finalised file and digital map were submitted to the head of forest forces and the additional chief secretary (forest) on July 16, 2025, and to the forest minister on July 17, 2025. Final administrative approval was granted on July 18, 2025. Thus, the re-delineated boundary has received all necessary clearances," the official told TOI.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Yamuna floodplains to be marked with physical boundaries across 17 districts by March
Agra: The irrigation department has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the project to physically mark the Yamuna floodplains with visible boundary indicators will begin in Oct, following the completion of the tendering process in Sept. In an affidavit submitted to the tribunal, the department said over 21,000 physical markers ('muddis') will be installed at 200-metre intervals along both banks of the river across a 1,056-km stretch spanning 17 districts from Gautam Buddh Nagar to Prayagraj. The project is expected to be completed by March next year. The development comes months after the NGT imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on the ministry of jal shakti and the central water commission in July last year for failing to act on floodplain demarcation, following a letter petition by Agra-based environmentalist Sharad Gupta. The court stated: "Issue of rampant & large scale illegal mining destroying sand dunes & ravines in the vicinity of Taj Mahal & restricted flood plain zone of the Yamuna was raised through a letter petition by Sharad Gupta based on a news article published in TOI dated March 6, 2022, & cognisance was taken by this tribunal; exercising suo-moto jurisdiction." The NGT had directed the state govt and the Jal Shakti ministry to mark flood zones from Hasanpur to Etawah and Shahpur to Prayagraj. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Search Results For Online gaming Online gaming | Search Ads Learn More In May this year, it asked the state to physically demarcate the Yamuna floodplains across 17 districts using boundary markers, instead of relying solely on geo-coordinates, to make the zones more comprehensible to the public. "The decision to install physical boundary markers is a significant step in protecting the ecological identity of the Yamuna. These visible indicators will help prevent illegal encroachments and ensure better public understanding of restricted floodplain zones," said the petitioner. He added, "In Agra alone, where the Yamuna flows for 167 km, the floodplain extends up to 5.09 km on the right bank and 2.55 km on the left. The upcoming work must be matched with strong monitoring to ensure long-term compliance." In Feb, the central water commission had demarcated the floodplains using satellite imagery provided by a Hyderabad-based remote sensing agency. The findings were compiled in a 521-page geospatial report submitted to the tribunal. The 17 districts covered under the NGT's directive are: Gautam Buddh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Jalaun, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Hamirpur, Kanpur Nagar, Fatehpur, Banda, Chitrakoot, Kaushambi, and Prayagraj.
India.com
4 hours ago
- India.com
Gangtok's Himalayan Zoo Welcomes Twin Red Panda Cubs As Lucky Turns Mother
Two tiny red panda cubs recently made their debut at the Bulbulee Himalayan Zoological Park in Gangtok. With their large eyes and close-knit presence, the newborns add fresh hope for conservation amid declining wild populations. For now, they'll stay with their mother in a secure enclosure for approximately one year before being gradually introduced to the public, Says BJP Leader Dilip Ghosh on X. Four tiny eyes,huddled together in silence.2 new guests have arrived at Gangtok's Bulbulee #HimalayanZoologicalPark .Red panda'Lucky'gave birth to two cubs. For now, they will remain with their mother in enclosure for a year, after which they will be introduced to the visitors. — Dilip Ghosh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DilipGhoshBJP) August 1, 2025 The birth of Lucky's cubs is particularly significant because red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) continue to be under threat from habitat destruction, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade. According to ICUN, less than 10,000 individuals remain, with only 2,500–6,000 in India, scattered across high-altitude regions like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, and Meghalaya. Red pandas in India are primarily found in the Eastern Himalayas, specifically in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal. They inhabit high-altitude, temperate forests with bamboo undergrowth. Red pandas rely on dense bamboo forests in the Eastern Himalayas, but rapid deforestation, habitat fragmentation from logging and road-building, and illegal poaching for fur and exotic pet trade have drastically reduced their numbers. Despite international protection under CITES Appendix I and India's own Wildlife Protection Act, enforcement gaps persist. Community-based conservation efforts and captive-breeding programs—such as those at Darjeeling's Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park—are critical. The Park recently pioneered rewilding programs and genetic biobanking, and now hosts a "frozen zoo" to preserve endangered species' DNA, including that of the red panda. "Wild Wonders: These Rare Creatures Will Melt Your Heart" They are of two dfferent species: Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens fulgens), resides in the mountains of northern India, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, and the Chinese red panda (A. fulgens styani), lives in China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. Red pandas are mostly solitary animals, except during mating season or when a mother is raising display dense reddish‑brown fur on top, black underside, with a white face and tear‑like markings under the eyes. Their bushy tail has faint rings, Reports Britannica
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Delhi govt abandons ground verification for Southern Ridge notification
New Delhi: A week after announcing a six-month on-ground verification plan for 12 south Delhi villages before finalising the Southern Ridge notification, Delhi govt has reversed its position. The forest department has now informed the National Green Tribunal that it will proceed directly with the notification, abandoning the verification process for these villages. The amicus in the case previously highlighted that govt had sufficient time, noting that more than four years elapsed since NGT requested the Southern Ridge notification. TOI had reported that the final notification under Section 20 for the full protection of the ridge has been pending for 31 years now. The initial notification under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act was issued in 1994, declaring it as a reserved forest. However, the Section 4 notification should be followed by notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act which is yet to be done. Based on a plea filed by activist Sonya Ghosh, NGT, in an order dated Jan 15, 2021, directed Delhi govt through the chief secretary to ensure the Section 20 notification within three months in respect of the area where there is no controversy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo However, Ghosh filed an executive application in 2024 seeking compliance with the NGT's 2021 order. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi The forest department earlier told NGT that it would conduct the final Section 20 notification of the southern ridge, spread over 6,200 hectares, in three phases. The tribunal on July 4 observed that though substantial time has elapsed, the notification even in respect of Phase I has not been issued. In a report dated July 23, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) told NGT that a ground verification of 3,287 hectares, spread over 12 villages, will be done by Jan next year as part of Phase I. After the ground verification is carried out to ensure that these villages are encumbrance-free, the final notification under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act will be issued for these 12 villages, the PCCF's report said. Objecting to the report of PCCF, the amicus told NGT in a hearing dated July 25 that issuing the notification under Section 20 in the three months' time given by the tribunal in the Jan 2021 order for areas where there is no controversy (Phase I) has elapsed. However, in the hearing taking place on July 31, the bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava observed, "Learned Counsel appearing for Delhi govt and PCCF has submitted that a decision has been taken that no ground verification will be done for issuing the final notification under Section 20 in respect of Phase I." Govt sought time to submit a fresh timeline for issuing the final notification in respect of Phase I. The matter will be heard on Aug 7.
