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Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary

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Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Map showing the location of Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Map showing the location of Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Map showing the location of Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Map showing the location of Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Location in India
LocationMandi district, Himachal Pradesh
Nearest cityShimla
Coordinates31°27′00″N 76°54′18″E / 31.450°N 76.905°E / 31.450; 76.905
Area41.32 km2 (15.95 sq mi)
Established1962
Governing bodyMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

The Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India, which covers 41.32 square kilometres and is located approximately seven kilometres from the town of Sundar Nagar. The sanctuary extends along the east and south sides of the Seri Khad stream. "Khad" is the Himachali term for a stream that provides essential water sources for the sanctuary's plants and wildlife.[1]

The area is full of steep slopes, grasslands, and various nullahs. The Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary is a habitat for a diverse range of plant and animal species.[2]

Fauna

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Seventy different bird species have been documented within the wildlife sanctuary.[3] Notably, the sanctuary harbours the Cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii), a species classified as globally vulnerable[4] and categorized as a restricted-range species of the western Himalayas.[5] The Sanctuary also supports populations of the Kalij pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). Other avian species in the sanctuary include the Himalayan swiftlet, Long-tailed shrike, Blue-throated Barbet, Red-billed Blue Magpie, and Fire-capped Tit.

In addition to its avian diversity, the sanctuary also serves as a habitat for a variety of mammals, including the Snow leopard, Goral, Barking deer, Hanuman langur, Indian fox, and Black bear.

According to findings from a Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment (CEIA), the Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the ten areas within the Sutlej basin and its tributaries that merit protection as a "no-hydro project zone" to safeguard fish fauna.[6]

Concerns

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In 2010, the Himachal Pradesh High Court nullified the environmental clearance granted to a cement plant in Sundar Nagar, responding to local protests and concerns over the plant's proximity to faceandli Wildlife Sanctuary. However, during the Standing Committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in August 2014, a proposal was presented for the expansion of a cement plant at Bagga, Himachal Pradesh. The proposed site was 5.6 km from the boundary of the Majathal Sanctuary and 9.9 km from the Bandli Sanctuary.[7] The Standing Committee approved the proposal requiring that 2% of the project's expenses be set aside for mitigation efforts and the protection and supervision of the wildlife within the Protected Area.

Apart from meddling with the environment in and around the Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary, the areas also faces challenges from poaching, particularly during the winter season,[8] and leopard attacks. There have been reports of leopard attacks in neighbouring areas of Sunder Nagar and Mandi, as well as sightings in nearby courtyards and colleges.[9][10][11]

References

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  1. ^ "Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary". Wildlife Institute of India. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Bandli Sanctuary - One of the Most Beautiful Wildlife Sanctuary of Himachal Pradesh". www.exploreourindia.com. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  3. ^ 1) Paliwal 2) Sharief 3) Sidhu 4) Kubendran, 1) Shivani 2) Amira 3) Avtar Kaur 4) T. (January 2019). "Species Diversity and Abundance of Avifauna in Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary, Mandi (Himachal Pradesh)". Zoology, Avifouna.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Cheer pheasants flourishing in Bandli sanctuary". The Times of India. 2011-11-27. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 2023-10-03. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  5. ^ Kaul, Rahul; Kalsi, Rajiv S.; Singh, Randeep; Basnet, Hari; Awan, Muhammad Naeem (October 2022). "Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii) and the Conservation Paradox: Importance of Unprotected Areas". Diversity. 14 (10): 785. doi:10.3390/d14100785. ISSN 1424-2818.
  6. ^ Chauhan, Kuldeep (July 3, 2014). "Declare fish-rich areas as no-hydro project zone: CEIA report". The Tribune. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  7. ^ "Minutes of the 31st Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife held on 12-13 August 2014 at Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bag Road, New Delhi" (PDF). 12–13 August 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  8. ^ Chauhan, Kuldeep. "Come winter season & poachers are on the prowl". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  9. ^ Deepak (2020-06-17). "Sundernagar: कमांद में आदमखोर तेंदुए ने दिनदहाड़े 2 लोगों पर किया हमला, गंभीर घायल". Himachal Abhi Abhi. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  10. ^ "Mandi woman injured in leopard attack". The Tribune. June 27, 2021. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  11. ^ "VIDEO: मंडी में घर के आंगन में दिनदिहाड़े घूमता दिखा तेंदुआ, लोगों के उड़े होश". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 2023-05-31. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
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