Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary
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Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary also popularly known as Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary or Narayan Sarovar Chinkara SanctuaryForest dept begins manhunt to nab Chinkara killers
; By D V MAHESHWARI; Sep 04, 2008; The Indian Express
notified as such in April 1981 and subsequently denotified in 1995 with reduced area, is a unique eco-system near Narayan Sarovar in the Lakhpat taluka of
Kutch district Kutch district (), officially spelled Kachchh is a district of Gujarat state in western India, with its headquarters (capital) at Bhuj. Covering an area of 45,674 km2, it is the largest district of India. The area of Kutch is larger than ...
in the state of
Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. The desert forest in this sanctuary is said to be the only one of its kind in India. Located in the arid zone, a part of it is a seasonal wetland. It has 15 threatened wildlife species and has desert vegetation comprising thorn and scrub forests. Its
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
has some rare animals and birds, and rare flowering plants. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has identified it as one of the last remaining habitats of the
cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
in India and a possible reintroduction site for the
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
.Workshop on cheetah relocation begins, views differ
PTI, 9 September 2009; The Times of India
The most sighted animal here is the chinkara (population estimated in the range of 1200–1500), which is currently the flagship species of the sanctuary.


History

The sanctuary was first notified in 1981 covering an area of .


De-notification in favor of mining industry

In 1992, the Gujarat state government's department of mining and geology pointed out that there were huge deposits of
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
,
lignite Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
(brown coal),
bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...
and
bauxite Bauxite () is a sedimentary rock with a relatively high aluminium content. It is the world's main source of aluminium and gallium. Bauxite consists mostly of the aluminium minerals gibbsite (), boehmite (γ-AlO(OH)), and diaspore (α-AlO(OH) ...
inside the protected area of the sanctuary and argued that the ban on mining in the sanctuary was holding back development of the local economy.Mining digs deep into India's wildlife refuges
by Sanjay Kumar; 26 August 1995; NewScientist Magazine
An order dated July 27, 1993 of the Gujarat State Government initially de-notified the Sanctuary, by annulling the earlier notification of 1981 under which Narayan Sarovar had been declared a wildlife sanctuary. It issued a decree which abolished the original sanctuary and established a new one, consisting of 16 disjointed patches. This de-notification had reduced the area of the sanctuary from to disjointed ribbons of land totaling only in favor of commercial mining interests. The commercially biased court order reduced the area to a mere one-eighth of the original size, with a comment that the area was "substantially in excess of the requirements of a Sanctuary". Following the de-notification, the Gujarat state government planned to grant a lease to a
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
company for open-cast mining in 2,000 hectares of land inside the original erstwhile Sanctuary to allow the mining of limestone, lignite and bauxite and for other industrial additives as it seemed an ideal location for a cement factory. The country's, or even Asia's, largest cement manufacturing unit was planned to be built there. Open-cast
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
mining is known to be harmful to the environment resulting in the release of large clouds of dust. Environmentalists feared that in the
arid Aridity is the condition of geographical regions which make up approximately 43% of total global available land area, characterized by low annual precipitation, increased temperatures, and limited water availability.Perez-Aguilar, L. Y., Plata ...
region of Kachchh district, these dust clouds would have harmful effects on both vegetation and wildlife as the limestone dust would condense in the cool nights settling on the leaves proving disastrous for the forests in the vicinity.


Environmental activists challenge de-notification in court

Several environment groups in the country challenged the de-notification decision in the courts, claiming it to be illegal because it had not been approved by the Gujarat state legislative assembly. The de-notification was challenged in the High Court of Gujarat and the
Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
resulting in a legal battle between the
Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciar ...
and the 'Environmental Activists' along with inputs (adverse impacts on the sanctuary by limestone mining within its vicinity) provided by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE),
Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...
which had initially brought the whole issue of de-notification to public light through its media campaign. In March 1995 the Gujarat High Court quashed the government decree, restoring the original sanctuary. But the court refused to comment on the "desirability or otherwise of the reduction of the sanctuary area".


Reduction in size of protected area to allow open-cast mining

In August 1995, the Gujarat state legislative assembly taking advantage of the court's reluctance to support the sanctuary approved a reduction in the size of the sanctuary area from to thus stripping protection from more than 40 per cent of the original protected area of the sanctuary and maintained that there were around 1200 chinkaras and that the smaller area was more than adequate for them. The new boundaries of the smaller sanctuary were carefully drawn to exclude the rich limestone and mineral-bearing areas. Environment groups contest that cement makers, eager for new sources of limestone, have been the main driving force behind the Gujarat state government's actions. The industry department of the state has been receiving several applications to build cement factories in the de-notified area. The Gujarat state assembly also stressed that Gujarat with its poor power supply cannot afford to ignore its brown coal deposits. The first lignite-fueled power generation station was built inside the sanctuary in 1991 and the second is now planned in Akri. Some miners had moved inside the boundaries of the sanctuary even before the 1993 decree that had initially abolished it escalating the mining and quarrying. Local forest officials believe that chinkara population is declining in the sanctuary and that their numbers are dwindling because their habitat is being destroyed. Pollution from the power station and the heavy traffic through the protected area also disrupts wildlife. Mining has made the water table salty, driving local villagers out of the area.


Geography

The sanctuary is delimited by the Kori creek on the northwest and
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
forest on the west, while prominent land features form its northern and southern limits. While the northwest and western part exhibit a flat topography towards the sea shore, the northeastern part has undulating topography of minor hill ranges; the elevation of the sanctuary near the coast (near Tahera village) is (
above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
). In the hill section it is (a.m.s.l) at Manijal hill in Kaniyaro Rakhal. The rivers and streams flowing through the sanctuary are small and
ephemeral Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...
in nature (Kapurasi and Kali are the two river systems) since rainfall is very scanty and erratic. Surface water is being harnessed at 15 reservoirs that surround the sanctuary. Ground water potential is meagre and water is saline in the sanctuary area. The number of villages in the sanctuary at present is reported to be 32 (1997–98) vis-à-vis 56 villages before de-notification of 1995. It is also reported that the sanctuary has been subjected to deforestation due to anthropogenic pressures; with the mining activities permitted after de-notification causing considerable stress on the sanctuary. ;Geology Geological formations in the sanctuary area primarily consist of
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
ic rocks on the eastern part, tertiary formation in the central part comprising numimulistic
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
and
shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
bordering the basaltic rocks in south and up to Lakhpat, recent
alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
in a belt of along the coast and scattered coastal sand dunes are on the western boundary. The area is rich in minerals such as limestone in belt (assessed as 1270 million tonnes) extends from the south Saran Nani village to Lakhpat, lignite in a belt of (15 million tonnes) and bentonite; lignite and bentonite are being mined close to Panandhro and Saran villages, while the mining of limestone is yet to begin. Sandy alluvium, clay and black loam are the soil types identified in the sanctuary area. However, vegetation in the central area of the sanctuary is good in view of black loamy soil found here, which is fertile and has better moisture retaining capacity.


Climate

The sanctuary has a tropical climate where summer is very hot. The arid climate has recorded maximum temperature varying from and a minimum of . During summer, May and June are the hottest months with dusty storms. In winter, December and January are the coldest months. Rainfall is very meagre; the average annual rainfall of Lakhpat (Dayapar station) is reported as (average of 25 years data). Evapo-transpiration rate varies between /year.


Fauna

The sanctuary harbours not only three types of great Indian bustards and the lesser florican but is also habitat for the black partridge, several species of ''herpetofauna'', a large number of bird species (terrestrial and aquatic) including 19 identified species of raptors.


Birds

The avifauna study of the sanctuary was specifically undertaken at the initiative of the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, in 1997–98 to evolve a 'Management Plan' that conserves the bird species. The study has identified 161 species (46 families) of which 112 are resident species (of 36 families) and 38 are migrants – majority are wetland birds – belonging to 13 families, vis-a-vis an earlier study that had identified 112 species of 36 families of which 23 were migrants. The study also provides detailed information of the avifauna in respect of each habitat of the sanctuary for resident and migratory birds, region wise, season wise and feeding habit wise. The abundant species identified were:
grey francolin The grey francolin (''Ortygornis pondicerianus'') is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier parts of the Indian subcontinent and Iran. This species was formerly also called the grey partridge, not to be confused with the European gr ...
, Eurasian collared dove, laughing dove, Indian robin, red-vented bulbul, common babbler,
house sparrow The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the Old World sparrow, sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pa ...
and plain munia.
Greater short-toed lark The greater short-toed lark (''Calandrella brachydactyla'') is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, ''Calandrella'', is a diminutive of ''kalandros'', the calandra lark, and ''brachydactila' ...
('' Calandrella brachydactyla'') was the common migratory bird seen here in large numbers. The birds sighted less frequently, called the 'specialists' were ortolan bunting, desert warbler, pied tit, white-browed fantail, lesser spotted eagle, sirkeer malkoha, Eurasian wryneck and yellow-crowned woodpecker.


Mammals

The faunal diversity consists of 14 species of mammals, nine species of reptiles and six species of snakes. Some of the important ones supported by the sanctuary include: chinkara,
blackbuck The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is a medium-sized antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the sh ...
,
caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...
, desert cat,
pangolin Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, while ' ...
, great Indian bustard,
porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...
, blue bull or
nilgai The nilgai (''Boselaphus tragocamelus'') (, literally meaning "blue cow") is the largest antelope of Asia, and is ubiquitous across the northern Indian subcontinent. It is the sole member of the genus (biology), genus ''Boselaphus'', which was ...
('' Boselaphus tragocamelus''), Indian boar ('' Sus scrofa''), Indian wolf (''Canis lupus pallipes''), Indian grey mongoose (''Urva edwardsii''),
hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...
,
striped hyena The striped hyena (''Hyaena hyaena'') is a species of hyena native to North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Hyaena''. It is listed by the IU ...
('' Hyaena hyaena'') and the
peafowl Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
. The caracal is considered endangered in Gujarat and vulnerable internationally, has been seen now in this sanctuary at Kutch after a lapse of almost 10 years. Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (Bhuj) sighted two individuals in February and March 1998. Other species present include
honey badger The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only living species in both the genus ''Mellivora'' and the subfami ...
(''Mellivora capensis''), pangolin (''Manis crassicaudata'') and desert fox (''Vulpes vulpes pusila'').


Reintroduction of cheetah

Narayan Sarovar Sanctuary and Banni Grasslands, both in Kutch, have been classified by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as the last remaining habitats of the
cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large Felidae, cat and the Fastest animals, fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, wit ...
(''Acinonyx jubatus'') in India and are proposed as some of the possible sites for the reintroduction of the
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
in India. Asiatic cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus venaticus'') that used to occur here are now locally
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
in India and elsewhere, except a very small
critically endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
and fragmented population of last few, estimated to be below 100, thought to be surviving only in the central desert of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. Thus cheetah experts from around the world have advised India to import and introduce the cheetah from Africa as genetically it is identical to the ones found in Asia, as latest genetic studies have revealed that the Asian population had separated from the African relatively recently only 5000 years ago which is not enough for a subspecies level differentiation. However, the reintroduction project has been on hold in 2012, after the discovery that Asiatic cheetahs are genetically distinct and have been separated from the South African cheetahs (''Acinonyx jubatus jubatus'') between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago.


Flora

The sanctuary is generally made up of natural desert thorn forests and grasslands - a mixed forest system comprising dry
savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
, desert thorn, tropical
euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family (biology), family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees, with perhaps the tallest being ''Eu ...
scrub forest and Salvadora scrub forest, Rann saline scrub and desert dune. In view of the edaphic climax of the forest, the tree height in the sanctuary ranges from . Scanty desert vegetation in the sanctuary is attributed to five factors: salinity at all depths in most areas, scanty rainfall, high velocity of desert winds, shallow soils and undulating topography of its hill region. Thirteen vegetation communities, 32 varieties of trees and 14 varieties of climbers have been recorded. Specifically, the forest vegetation types identified in the sanctuary are: dry deciduous scrub, salvadora scrub, desert thorn forest, babul '' Acacia nilotica'' forests, tropical ''
Euphorbia ''Euphorbia'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family (biology), family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees, with perhaps the tallest being ''Eu ...
'' scrub, dry savannah type vegetation, – '' Salvadora'' association, gorad ('' Senegalia senegal''), '' Zizyphus'' scrub and '' Capparis'' association. The predominant plant species identified are the gorad and the babul; gorad, is the main species which covers an extensive area in the eastern zone while babul is the dominant species in the western zone where limestone is the geological formation in some of the patches. The invasive species '' Prosopis juliflora'' is noted to be spreading in the sanctuary resulting in decrease of grassy and herbaceous patches. The invasive vegetation of '' Prosopis chilensis'' is reported in an area of in the sanctuary. The flowering plants listed in the sanctuary include 252 species, important ones being desi baval, gorad, hermo, ber, pilu, thor, gando baval, gugal, ingorio, kerdo and cariso.


Habitat conservation

The desert ecosystem of the sanctuary has been affected by several factors. Some of the key factors identified are: restricting the reserve area and allocating limestone areas for mining, which not only encroached on this precious forest but also disturbed the habitat of avifauna and flora of the forest; the encroachment for cultivation by farmers is also a major factor that reduces the reserve area and restricts movement of wildlife; cattle grazing and cutting of trees for fuel and other purposes has also caused denudation that affects bird habitats. The conservation measures suggested include preservation of wetland, particularly the water bodies in the sanctuary to retain and attract migratory birds, availability and creation of hole-nester by prevention of clearance of dead trees, and attention to globally or nationally threatened species by protecting their habitats; the two species specifically referred are the pied tit (white-napped tit) considered endemic to India and the MacQueen's bustard ( houbara bustard); in this context, the yellow-crowned woodpecker is also mentioned, as their numbers are reported to be small. there is one more species of rabbit is can be seen because of animal friendly peoples and good environmental conditions and fox also here in good condition and national bird is here and easily visible and no. of reptiles are present here some are poisonous and some are friendly


Interpretation centre

An interpretation centre at Loriya next to the sanctuary was established in 2006 with the objective of providing important information to the public about the sanctuary. Even 30–35 hutments were constructed as part of the centre. It was inaugurated with a lot of fanfare when the 'Kutch Utsav' was organized here. Unfortunately, the centre has remained neglected without any staff to man it (funds constraint is mooted as one of the reasons). The forest officials say that the centre would function once funds are allocated.


Visitor information

The sanctuary is located from Bhuj, which is the district headquarters of the Kachchh. Kutch is well connected by road, rail and air links with the rest of the country.


Gallery

File:Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) or Indian Gazelle.jpg, Chinkara (''Gazella bennettii'') or Indian gazelle File:Prosopis juliflora.jpg, Invasive species – '' Prosopis juliflora'' File:Babool (Acacia nilotica) flowers at Hodal W IMG 1248.jpg, '' Acacia nilotica'' File:Ziziphus mauritiana fruit 2.jpg, Ber (''Ziziphus mauritiana'') tropical fruit tree species File:Indian jujube (fruit).jpg, Indian jujube (fruit)


See also

* Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (similar name of another sanctuary) * Greater Rann of Kutch * Little Rann of Kutch * Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary * Kutch Bustard Sanctuary * Banni grasslands * Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary * List of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Gujarat, India


References

{{Authority control Protected areas established in 1981 Wildlife sanctuaries in Gujarat Cheetah reintroduction in India Protected areas of Kutch district 1981 establishments in Gujarat