More than 1,835 hectares of ecologically sensitive government-owned land across 20 locations in Maharashtra have been proposed for declaration as conservation reserves by the state forest department. The proposal has been placed with the objective of strengthening the protection provided to the state’s wildlife habitats, flora, fauna and biodiversity. The areas identified under the proposal include Gaganbawda, Ajara-Bhudargad, Taharabad, Velhe-Mulshi, Naneghat, Bhorgirigad, Dindori, Surgana, Kareghat, Chinchpada, Alibag, Ghera-Manikgad, Rajmachi, Lonavala, Gumtara, Jawhar, Dhamani, Asherigad, Ekara and DPS Lake in Navi Mumbai.
Conservation reserves are notified on government-owned land and are generally used for protecting wildlife corridors, buffer zones and ecologically important landscapes connecting existing protected forests. While national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are provided with the highest level of legal protection, conservation reserves are intended to safeguard important habitats while allowing the sustainable use of natural resources by local communities after due consultation.
According to forest department officials, stronger protection for wildlife habitats and biodiversity across Maharashtra would be provided if the proposed areas were brought under the conservation reserve category. The proposals have been discussed on several occasions during meetings of the Standing Committee of the State Wildlife Board. Recommendations for the protection of the identified areas have also been made by scientific and conservation institutions, including the Wildlife Institute of India, the Bombay Natural History Society, the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, the Indian Institute of Science and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, several of the proposals have remained pending after opposition was raised over concerns related to infrastructure projects, tourism and real estate development.
Kishor Rithe, director of the Bombay Natural History Society and a member of the State Wildlife Board, said that many of the proposed conservation reserves had faced strong opposition. DPS Lake in Navi Mumbai was cited by him as a prominent example. Rithe said that Forest Minister Ganesh Naik and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had been requested to declare DPS Lake a conservation reserve so that greater protection could be provided to the flamingos visiting the area. He said that the need to protect the site had been accepted by both leaders, but added that “there is no order yet.”
According to forest department officials, the proposal concerning DPS Lake has been held up following objections from the City and Industrial Development Corporation. Cidco is associated with the Navi Mumbai International Airport project. Officials said that concerns had been raised by Cidco that stronger protection being granted to the flamingo habitat could pose operational challenges for flights from the upcoming airport.
Rithe also said that the maximum progress in declaring areas as conservation reserves had been achieved during the tenure of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. He said that the initiative had been spearheaded at the time by Clement Ben, who was then serving as additional principal chief conservator of forests in Mumbai.
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