The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also called 'Mini Kaziranga' because of its comparable topography and abundant biodiversity.....
Digital desk: The Assam Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has decided to de-notify the sanctuary. The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located approximately 48 kilometers east of Guwahati, is a prime home for the one-horned rhinos.
Environmental activists claim that this judgment is the first of its kind for a protected region in the nation, coming 26 years after the Assam Forest Department designated Pobitora as a wildlife sanctuary on March 17, 1998.
This action is in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent safari in the Kaziranga National Park, which raised awareness of the need to conserve the regions biodiversity.
In addition, the state government has petitioned the Supreme Court for relief in defining the sanctuary's perimeter, clearing encroachments, and designating an environmentally sensitive area surrounding it.
A senior forest officer confirmed the decision, saying the 1998 notification was sent out without the required consultation with the Chief Minister and the Cabinet at the time.
The Cabinet pointed out that the Forest Department did not have jurisdiction over some parts of the sanctuary, such as government-owned khas land. It also brought attention to the unfulfilled rights of residents, particularly those from underprivileged areas.
The Cabinet did, however, acknowledge the importance of protecting wildlife and the fact that Pobitora is home to a great population of one-horned rhinos in addition to other animal species like barking deer, wild buffaloes, and leopards.
The Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also called 'Mini Kaziranga' because of its comparable topography and abundant biodiversity, Pobitora is home to the world's greatest concentration of one-horned rhinos, with 107 recorded as of the most recent census in 2022.
The Cabinet has established a five-member committee to investigate the effects of the de-notification decision in an attempt to involve nearby people in conservation efforts. The committee has six months to provide a report, and Forest, the Special Chief Secretary, is in charge of it.
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