Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified 120.56 square kilometres around Hirpora Wildlife sanctuary as eco-sensitive zone.
The Ministry has declared the ESZ around the wildlife sanctuary after seeking suggestions from the public over it. “The eco-sensitive zone shall be to an extent of 0 (zero) to 1.0 kilometre around the boundary of Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary and the area of the eco-sensitive zone is 120.56 square kilometres,” the Ministry said in a notification,
The draft proposal for declaring the ESZ around the sanctuary was put in public domain by the Ministry on June 9, 2020.
Spread over an area of around 341.25 square kilometres, the sanctuary got its name from village Hirpora, a small hamlet that lies on the North-Eastern outskirts of the protected area and forms its gateway.
“It came into existence on March 19, 1987. While framing the organisational set up of the department of Wildlife Protection, the Government of J&K again notified the establishment of Hirpora wildlife sanctuary on May 13, 1991.”
Later, the government through a notification in 2007 extended the area of the sanctuary to 341.25 square kilometres.
The sanctuary has vast vegetative covers which provides an ideal habitat for mammal and other faunal species.
It also provides habitat for the some rare, endangered and threatened species like markhor (near threatened), Kashmir musk deer (endangered), common leopard (vulnerable), Himalayan griffon vulture (near threatened), bearded vulture (near threatened), Kashmir flycatcher (vulnerable).
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