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Snow leopard project gets union finance dept nod
The union department of economic affairs gave the go-ahead on Thursday to a project for conserving snow leopards in higher reaches of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim
The union department of economic affairs gave the go-ahead on Thursday to a project for conserving snow leopards in higher reaches of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.
The project titled SECURE (Securing Livelihoods, Conservation, Sustainable Use and Restoration of High Range Himalayan Ecosystem) has got a funding of USD 12 million (nearly Rs 77 crore) from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The four states will get funds for three main components -- securing livelihood opportunities of people residing in snow leopard-dominated habitat, conserving the habitat and protection of the endangered species.
After a meeting with the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) on August 16 over the plan of action and constitution of committees for its implementation, the project was presented before the department of economic affairs for final clearance as foreign funding was involved.
Uttarakhand will get Rs 24 crore under the project, officials said. “The project was cleared for funding and now we will start working on conserving the high-altitude species,” Digvijay Singh Khati, Uttarakhand chief wildlife warden who participated in the two-day meeting in Delhi, told Hindustan Times.
In February 2016, HT reported findings of a 2015 survey in which evidence of snow leopards’ presence was found in six valleys in the hill state. No direct evidence was, however, reported.
The project will mainly focus on Gangotri-Govind landscape; Darma-Byans landscape will also be covered.
“Uttarakhand does not have major potential threats to snow leopard as compared to other Himalayan states. We will work on the guidelines and components provided to us for bettering the habitat of the species,” said Dhananjai Mohan, additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF) who is nominated as the state coordinator for the project.
The 2015 survey did not give an estimation of the elusive big cat; officials plan to conduct a rigorous exercise for understanding its population.
“The 15-day survey done for understanding the habitat of snow leopard was based on indirect evidence. With this project, we will able to do a comprehensive analysis of the population estimation,” Mohan said.
A 2013 report of the Wildlife Institute of India estimated 200-600 snow leopards in Uttarakhand. Over 15 snow leopards were camera-trapped by the forest department and WII in Uttarakhand -- 14 were from Gangotri landscape -- between 2000 and 2015.
