Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ahmed Patel on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing his attention towards increasing deaths of Asiatic lions in the Gir National Park in Gujarat. In his letter, the Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the death of Gir lions is a "manifestation of negligence" and "result of the State Government’s prolonged mismanagement and poor oversight.”
The Congress leader suggested the Government to consider the request of generating a fund worth Rs 1,000 crore for the conservation of the Gir Lions for launching a national level program on the lines of Project Save the Tiger.
The Congress MP also suggested certain measures to save the existing populations of lions. He said that there must be a fine balance between promoting tourism and conserving wildlife.
"There must be a fine balance between promoting tourism and conserving wildlife. The expanding dog menace and uncontrolled growth of resorts near the sanctuary has become a serious threat for the survival of the lions. The Government must show the will to end such illegal resorts irrespective of their ownership," wrote Patel in the letter.
Patel said eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) in Gujarat, extending only up to 0.5 km from protected areas, as against 10 km suggested by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), had "caused unwarranted interference in the ecosystem of lions". He called for a revision of the ESZ for Gir National Park and expressed the need to strike a "fine balance" between promoting tourism and conserving wildlife.
The Congress leader also stressed on the need for removal of "illegal resorts" near the sanctuary, "irrespective of their ownership." In the letter, the Congress leader has appealed to the Government to 'not neglect the lions of Gujarat and treat them with the same importance given to the Tigers'.
Drawing attention to the shortage of medicines and trained veterinary doctors for lions, Patel suggested the government to consider "introducing training programmes for lion conservation and allocating adequate budget for research towards their conservation."
"Treat Gujarat lions with the same importance given to tigers. The Central Government can consider creating a Rs 1,000-crore fund for conservation of Gir lions and launch national-level programmes on the lines of Project Tiger," he said.
"Being a fellow Gujarati, you (Modi) are equally aware that Gir's lions are an integral part of Gujarati asmita (pride). Gir Forest, which was once projected as a success story of animal conservation, is now being seen as a glaring example of ecological neglect by the State," he said.
At least 23 lions, all from a single area in Gir forest, have died over the past three weeks due to various reasons, prime among them is Canine Distemper Virus and Protozoa infection. There are 523 lions in Gujarat as per the last census in 2015.