BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging immediate translocation of an Asiatic lion from Gir (Gujarat) to Kuno National Park in MP.
In the letter, the MP CM has requested the PM to intervene in this matter and to issue directives to the Union Ministry for Forest and Environment and Government of Gujarat for early action in this regard, an official statement of MP government said.
He also mentioned in the letter that all the recommendations made by the Wildlife Institute of India and expert committee formed in connection to the translocation of Asiatic Lions to Kuno have been implemented by the MP government. 20 villages (1543 families) have already been rehabilitated by the state government. A complete arrangement as regards to food for the lion has been made in the Kuno National Park. A substantial amount of money has been incurred by the state government on these arrangements. Now the Kuno National Park is ready to welcome the Asiatic Lion, he added.
He also mentioned that as per the recommendations made by the committee, the area of Kuno National Park has already been extended by additional 404 square km of forest area.
It may be mentioned that the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment while expressing its concern had said that it is essential to establish a second home for the endangered species Asiatic Lion. If it is confined to only one habitat then this species will become extinct. Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh is the best habitat for Asiatic Lion. According to the April 2013 order of the Supreme Court, the Asiatic Lion was supposed to be shifted from Gujarat to the Kuno National Park within 6 months.