SHIMLA, June 24:
The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), situated in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, has been granted prestigious World Heritage Site status. The decision was made during the meeting of WHS in Doha, yesterday.
Official sources here said the Great Himalayan National Park competed against several other countries for selection as a World Heritage Site under the criteria of ‘exceptional natural beauty’ and ‘conservation of biological diversity’. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has welcomed this decision, saying this was recognition for commendable performance and sustainable efforts of the State in conservation of forests, wildlife and heritage. He said the State Government had always been committed to preserve the ecology, environment and precious forest wealth of the State and various effective steps had been initiated in this regard.
The State had imposed complete ban on green felling and measures had been taken to minimize the use of plastic and polythene, the Chief Minister said.
Reacting to getting the World Heritage Site status, State Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri said this step would go a long way in the growth and development of eco-tourism in the State.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the State Government for protection and conservation of the precious environment. The noteworthy issue in according the status of WHS to the GHNP is that there will be no dislocation of the families/villages living in the Park core and their rights have been recognised and would stay protected. Mr Bharmouri also said the original proposal regarding inclusion of GHNP in India’s Tentative List of Natural Heritage Properties was conceived by the State Government between December/January, 2005-2006 after a meeting at New Delhi on 14th November, 2005. Subsequently, there were several rounds of consultations and meetings to address the issues involved, the Minister added. He said the selection process required that the Tirthan and Sainj Wildlife Sanctuaries be added to the GHNP, an analysis of the other similar WHS be conducted to underscore the importance of the GHNP and continue to resolve various rights-based issues in the Park area.
The Forest Minister said in the current round of negotiations underway at Doha, Qatar, the discussion took place and finally, the status of WHS was accorded. He said that in India, other World Heritage sites include the Taj Mahal, Ellora, Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Manas National Park, Nandadevi Biosphere Reserve and the Sunderbans.
Mr Bharmouri said GHNP was declared as National Park under Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972 by the Himachal Pradesh Government in 1999. A total of 832 plants species representing 128 families and 427 genera (which cover 26 per cent of the total flora of Himachal Pradesh) have been recorded from the GHNP.
GHNP is home to a number of threatened species of global concern, providing them with habitats critical to their continued survival. The Park supports probably self-sustaining populations of near-threatened, vulnerable and endangered species like Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Royle’s vole, Himalayan Tahr, Himalayan Serow, Himalayan Goral, Himalayan Musk deer, Western Tragopan and Cheer pheasant.
The endangered Snow Leopard and critically endangered Red-headed vulture was also present. The Park contains the largest single population of the vulnerable Western Tragopan and supports probably the densest remaining population of Himalayan Musk Deer west of Nepal, he said. (UNI)
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