Abubshehar wildlife sanctuary to become community reserve

The area of Abubshehar wildlife sanctuary in Sirsa district in Haryana will be converted into a Community Reserve to ensure participation of local people in conservation of wildlife of the area.
This decision was taken in the first meeting of State Board for Wildlife of Haryana held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here.
The matter of denotification in this regard would be placed before the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife, an official release said here.
In the meeting, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dr Amarinder Kaur apprised the Chief Minister that the Abubshehar Wildlife Sanctuary was notified by the state government in 1987 having total area of 28,492 acres.

The sanctuary covers eleven villages--Chautala, Teja Khera, Assa Khera, Bharu Khera, Jandwala Bisnoian, Ganga, Gidar Khera, Sukhera Khera, Abub Shehar, Lakhuana and Sakta Khera.
The village panchayats of all eleven villages had given a resolution to denotify the sanctuary in 2009.

Kaur said that any kind of construction and developmental works have been prohibited in Abubshehar Wildlife Sanctuary area causing difficulty to people of the region and administration, and affecting development.
The Chief Minister agreed to convert the area into a Community Reserve and said this would ensure participation of local people in conservation of wildlife and also clear the way for development works.

Hooda also noted that black buck and Nilgai are found in this area due to which it had been reserved as wildlife sanctuary.