THE Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife on Monday approved proposals to declare two forest areas as wildlife sanctuaries and 14 areas across seven districts as conservation reserves, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday. The decisions were taken at the 26th meeting of the board, which was chaired by the Chief Minister. The Kolamarka Conservation Reserve in Gadchiroli district, known for its population of wild buffaloes, has been approved for declaration as a wildlife sanctuary. The board also approved the proposal to declare the newly expanded Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary, adjoining the existing sanctuary, as a wildlife sanctuary. The 14 proposed conservation reserves are located in Pune, Raigad, Nashik, Nandurbar, Thane, Palghar and Chandrapur districts.

 

They include VelheMulshi in Pune and Raigad districts; Bhor Girgad in Pune; Dindori, Surgana and Taharabad in Nashik; Chinchpada in Nandurbar; Alibag and Ghera Manikgad in Raigad; Lonavala in Pune and Raigad; Ghumtara in Thane; Jawhar, Asherigad and Dhamani in Palghar; and Ekara in Chandrapur. The board also approved a proposal to include 588.767 hectares of revenue and private land from Ogda, Khodde, Tirmal, Pachghar, Phansad and Amle villages in the newly expanded Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary as part of efforts to make the existing sanctuary free of human habitation. Proposals to declare 100.139 square km of the Koka Wildlife Sanctuary and 255.79 square km of the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary as critical wildlife habitats were also approved.