Modi govt's big announcements on World Wildlife Day: Cheetahs in Gujarat, lion census, AI for national parks

PM Modi at the 7th meeting of National Board for Wildlife in Gir.

In a significant move to bolster wildlife conservation efforts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife today in Gir, announced the expansion of Cheetah project to other areas, including the Gandhisagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and Banni Grasslands in Gujarat. Cheetahs were introduced to India in an effort to reintroduce the species to the country and help conserve it.

Alongside the expansion of the Cheetah project in MP and Gujarat, Modi reviewed various initiatives undertaken by the Government in wildlife conservation, highlighting achievements in the creation of new protected areas and species-specific flagship programs such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Snow Leopard, among others. The Board also discussed conservation efforts for dolphins and Asiatic lions, and the establishment of the International Big Cats Alliance.

The Prime Minister also released the report of the first-ever riverine dolphin estimation conducted in the country, which estimated a total of 6,327 dolphins. This pioneering effort involved surveying 28 rivers across eight states, with 3150 mandays dedicated to covering over 8,500 kilometers. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest numbers, followed by Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, stated the press statement.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of the National Referral Centre for Wildlife at Junagadh, which will function as the hub for coordination and governance of various aspects related to wildlife health and disease management.

Prime Minister revealed that the 16th cycle of the Asiatic Lion Population Estimation will be carried out in 2025, following the successful exercise in 2020. He highlighted the natural dispersal of Asiatic Lions to the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary and assured that lion conservation in the region would be supported through measures such as prey augmentation and habitat improvements. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of eco-tourism for the development and conservation of wildlife habitats and called for better connectivity to facilitate wildlife tourism.

As part of efforts to manage human-wildlife conflict, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) campus in the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore. This centre will focus on equipping Rapid Response Teams with advanced technology and gadgets for tracking and surveillance in conflict hotspots. Additionally, it will build the capacity of field practitioners and communities to implement conflict mitigation measures.

PM Modi also underscored the role of cutting-edge technologies such as remote sensing, geospatial mapping, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning in tackling critical issues like forest fires and human-animal conflicts. He urged the Wildlife Institute of India to collaborate with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) to address these challenges. Furthermore, the Prime Minister called for enhanced monitoring and management of forest fires in sensitive protected areas through a partnership between the Forest Survey of India and BISAG-N, utilizing space technology for prediction, detection, prevention, and control.

In another important scheme, Modi introduced a scheme focused on the conservation of tigers outside tiger reserves. This initiative aims to mitigate human-tiger conflicts and promote co-existence between tigers and local communities outside designated reserves. Recognizing the declining population of gharials, he announced the launch of a new project dedicated to their conservation, while also commending the efforts made towards protecting the Great Indian Bustard. To strengthen these efforts, a National Great Indian Bustard Conservation Action Plan was announced.

He emphasized the importance of traditional knowledge in wildlife conservation and urged the Environment Ministry and the Board to collect regional manuscripts and knowledge related to forest and wildlife management for research and development. He also outlined a roadmap for future actions, including the formation of task forces for the conservation of Indian Sloth Bears, gharials, and the Great Indian Bustard. Noting the success of the Gir National Park in lion and leopard conservation, he called for the documentation of this traditional knowledge, potentially using AI, to be applied to other national parks and sanctuaries.

International cooperation also formed a key part of the Prime Minister’s agenda, with a suggestion for enhanced coordination under the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

PM Modi also praised the active involvement of local communities in conservation efforts, particularly the establishment of over six times more community reserves in the last decade. He emphasized the importance of using advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, in these conservation initiatives.

In a bid to further support wildlife conservation, the Prime Minister advised the research and documentation of medicinal plants found in forests, which could play a crucial role in animal health management. He also mentioned the potential for promoting plant-based medicine systems for animal health management on a global scale.

To conclude the meeting, the Prime Minister flagged off motorcycles for enhanced mobility of frontline forest staff and engaged directly with field-level functionaries at Gir, including frontline staff, eco-guides, and trackers, to discuss ways to strengthen wildlife conservation efforts at the grassroots level.