HC intervenes in Jaisalmer sanctuary boundary row

Jaisalmer: Rajasthan High Court on Sunday issued notices to the state govt, Jaisalmer collector, and Desert National Park deputy forest officer while hearing a petition of August 11, 2023 concerning the preservation of the National Desert Sanctuary. The court sought their responses and imposed an interim injunction on any changes to the boundaries of the eco-sensitive zone.
Justices Kuldeep Mathur and S Chandrashekhar issued a stay order, instructing govt to not make any determinations on the issues raised in the petition. The matter is under deliberation for the next hearing.
Advocate Manas Ranchhod Khatri, representing petitioner Hem Singh Rathore, argued for the preservation of the National Desert Sanctuary in Jaisalmer under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and the Environmental Protection Act 1986, seeking the declaration of an eco-sensitive zone. The petition asserted that the National Desert Sanctuary in Jaisalmer is India's sole park and sanctuary where desert wildlife, species, and creatures are found. Due to the geographical conditions, various species of insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and animals, which are now on the brink of extinction, are present. These include the state bird ‘Godawan’— the endangered Great Indian Bustard, the deep yellow eagle, the spotted eagle, and the hawk. Khatri said the state issued a notification on August 6, 1980, for the publication of the National Desert Sanctuary in the gazette, including 34 villages in Jaisalmer covering an area of 1,946 square kilometres and 39 revenue villages in Barmer with a total area of 162 square kilometres. On May 19, 1981, a notification was issued declaring an area of about 300 square kilometres as the National Desert Park, primarily for GIB conservation. However, govt failed to safeguard the state bird and other species.