Gujarat government in action after the death of a child in a lion attack in Girnar. Many strict steps have been announced for the safety of pilgrims like permanent posts, drone surveillance and silence zones. Its objective is to ensure safety along with wildlife conservation.
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [भारत]July 13 (ANI): In the wake of the tragic death of an 11-year-old boy in a lion attack on the steps of Girnar hill, the Gujarat government has announced several measures to strengthen the safety of pilgrims while ensuring wildlife conservation in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to a release from Gujarat CMO, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by the Forest and Environment Department. The meeting was held after the fatal attack on 11-year-old Mayur Chauhan of Kheda district by a lion near the 50th staircase on the new Girnar staircase. Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia, Minister of State Praveen Mali and senior officials of the Forest Department participated in the meeting. The main focus of the discussion was to prevent such incidents in future and improve security arrangements for pilgrims visiting the sanctuary.
Arjun Modhwadia said that under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has decided to implement several measures to prevent recurrence of such unfortunate incidents, the release said.
These strict steps will be taken for security
The minister announced that permanent posts will be set up at sensitive locations within the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, where movement of wildlife occurs frequently. These posts will help in continuously monitoring the wildlife movements and enhance the safety of the visitors. He further said that a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be prepared under the chairmanship of Junagadh Collector in coordination with all concerned administrative departments. This SOP will lay down protocols for pilgrim safety, wildlife management, emergency response and inter-departmental coordination in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary area.
Under the new measures, the Girnar and Datar Stairways will be declared “silence zones” to reduce unnecessary disturbance to wildlife and reduce the possibility of human-wildlife conflict, the release said. The forest department will also start thermal drone surveillance to continuously monitor the movement of wildlife in the sanctuary and improve early warning capabilities.
To increase public awareness, the department will launch an extensive outreach campaign to educate pilgrims and local residents about appropriate behavior in wildlife habitats. The campaign will include safety guidelines, advisory messages and awareness programs aimed at reducing the risks while visiting the sanctuary. More than 25 forest trackers will be deployed to keep an eye on wildlife in Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to a release, Arjun Modhwadia further said that the Gujarat government is committed to maintaining a balance between ensuring the safety of pilgrims visiting Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary and conservation of its rich wildlife and will take all necessary measures to achieve both these objectives.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary of Forest and Environment Vinod Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Jaipal Singh and all the Deputy Conservators of Forests and Conservator of Forests of Sher Landscape. (ANI)
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