Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary

Why in news?

• Eight critically endangered Oriental white-backed vultures were released into the wild for the first time in India from the Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre (JCBC) situated at the Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It lies in the Shivalik hills of Haryana.
• This sanctuary houses Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
• MoEFCC declared it as an Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ), as a result development will not be permitted within a 5 kilometre radiusof the sanctuary.

Add ons:

• Eco-Sensitive Zones:
  • Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
  • The Eco-Sensitive Zone around protected areas are declared by the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Wildlife sanctuary:
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provided for the declaration of certain areas by the State government as wildlife sanctuaries.
  • A wildlife sanctuary is defined by State Government via a Notification.
  • There is no need to pass legislation (act) by the state assembly to declare a wildlife sanctuary.
  • Fixation and alternation of boundary can be done by state legislature via resolution.
• National Parks:
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for the declaration of National Parks by the State government in addition to the declaration of wildlife sanctuaries.
  • The Central Government may declare an area to be a sanctuary/national park if it is satisfied that the area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance, for the purpose of protecting, propagating or developing wildlife or its environment.
  • National parks enjoy a greater degree of protection than sanctuaries
  • Wildlife sanctuaries can be created for a particular species.                  

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements:

1. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers state governments to declare certain areas as National Parks.

2. Eco-Sensitive Zone around the protected areas are declared by the Union Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer