Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday reviewed the progress of flagship wildlife conservation programmes in Gujarat, covering the conservation of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), grassland restoration and Project Cheetah.
Chairing a review meeting at Bhuj, Kachchh, Yadav stressed that effective conservation must move beyond protecting individual species to restoring entire landscapes through scientific management, habitat restoration and community participation.
He said India is working towards becoming a global benchmark in landscape-level conservation.
The meeting was attended by Gujarat Cabinet Minister for Forest and Environment, Climate Change and Science & Technology Arjun Modhwadia, along with senior officials from the Union Environment Ministry, Gujarat Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India and National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Gujarat releases action plan for Great Indian Bustard
Yadav released the Gujarat Action Plan for GIB Conservation, prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India in collaboration with the Gujarat Forest Department.
He said Kachchh supports an important but small and isolated population of the Critically Endangered Great Indian Bustard. The action plan provides a science-based roadmap aimed at establishing a minimum viable population of more than 30 birds and securing 200-500 sq. km. of safe, contiguous habitat.
The immediate focus will be on the approximately 200 sq. km. Lala–Rawa landscape, where conservation interventions will include habitat restoration, grazing management, removal of invasive species, predator management and mitigation of infrastructure-related threats.
Yadav said significant work has already been undertaken to secure the GIB population in the region. Around 11 sq. km. of grassland in Naliya infested with the invasive Prosopis juliflora has been restored.
An enclosure covering 15 sq. km. has also been secured with 30 km of predator-proof fencing, along with targeted management of nest predators.
The Minister emphasised that conserving the GIB also means protecting Kachchh’s open natural ecosystems, which provide habitat for species such as the lesser florican, chinkara, desert cats, raptors, vultures and other specialised wildlife.
Landmark GIB breeding intervention shows promise
Yadav highlighted a pioneering “jump-start” conservation intervention in which infertile eggs laid by wild GIB females were replaced with viable eggs from the conservation breeding programme.
He said the chick resulting from the second such attempt has survived beyond the critical first three months in the wild, describing the development as a landmark result for the recovery of the species in Gujarat.
A GIB Soft Release Centre has also been developed near Naliya. The facility will house and acclimatise captive-bred birds from Rajasthan before their eventual release, subject to appropriate protocols and suitable habitat conditions.
National assessment proposed for grassland restoration
Reviewing the grassland restoration programme, Yadav highlighted the ecological importance of grasslands, which cover nearly 24 per cent of India’s land area but remain among the country’s most degraded and under-conserved ecosystems.
He said a proposed five-year national assessment, to be undertaken in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and Forest Survey of India, with support from National CAMPA, would provide a scientific basis for developing a national framework for grassland management.
The assessment will focus on mapping, ecological evaluation, restoration and improved management of Open Natural Ecosystems, including Gujarat’s Banni Grassland.
Project Cheetah population reaches 52
Reviewing Project Cheetah, Yadav said India has established a growing cheetah population from 29 founder cheetahs, with the population now reaching 52 individuals, including 49 cubs born in India.
He noted that the cub survival rate in Kuno, at around 68 per cent, demonstrates the potential for successful population establishment under appropriate ecological conditions.
The protected habitat available to cheetahs has expanded to 3,428 sq. km. through integrated management of Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar.
Yadav said Banni Grasslands in Gujarat and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh have been identified as future release sites for cheetahs.
He emphasised that Project Cheetah is increasingly adopting a landscape-level approach, with the focus extending beyond individual animals to ensuring adequate habitat, prey availability and ecological connectivity for the species’ long-term recovery.
