Rajasthan’s Tal Chhapar sanctuary gets protection from plan to reduce its size

Subject : Environment

Context:

Tal Chhapar blackbuck sanctuary in Rajasthan’s Churu district has received a protective cover against a proposed move of the State government to reduce the size of its eco-sensitive zone.

Details:

The court recently ordered a “complete prohibition” on any action to reduce the wildlife sanctuary’s area.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has also taken up a major project for the conservation of raptors in the sanctuary, spread in an area measuring 7.19 sq. km.

About the Tal Chhapar sanctuary:

Tal Chhapar Sanctuary is a sanctuary located in the Churu district of Northwestern Rajasthan, in the Shekhawati region of India.
It is known for blackbucks and is also home to a variety of birds.
The sanctuary is 210 km from Jaipur on the fringe of the Great Indian Desert.
Geology and climate:
- Tal Chhaper Sanctuary, with an almost flat tract and interspersed shallow low-lying areas, has open grassland with scattered Acacia and Prosopis trees which give it an appearance of a typical savanna.
Flora and Fauna:
- The sanctuary is host to about 4,000 blackbucks and other wild animals, over 40 species of raptors and more than 300 species of resident and migratory birds.
- The raptors, which include predators and scavengers, are on top of the food chain and control the populations of small mammals, birds and reptiles as well as insects.
- The sanctuary earlier had a large population of desert foxes and similar burrowing animals, while the large colonies of the only herbivorous lizard, the spiny-tailed lizard, exist as the prey base for raptors.

Threats to the sanctuary:

The issues confronting the sanctuary include hyper-aridity, grazing pressure, the invasive weed Prosopis juliflora, and salt mines in the vicinity.
The sanctuary’s area is insufficient for its large blackbuck population.

Monitoring of the sanctuary:

As Tal Chhapar attracts a large number of raptor species for their habitation, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) has started monitoring them to understand their status and distribution in the sanctuary.

Blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra):

Also known as the Indian antelope.
Native to India and Nepal.
It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources.

Blackbuck sanctuaries in India:

Conservation Efforts:

Raptors MoU (Global): The Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia is also known as Raptors MoU.
It is an agreement under Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
CMS or Bonn Convention provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats.
It is not legally binding.

India’s Conservation Efforts:

India is a signatory to Raptors MoU.
For the conservation of vultures, India has launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25.
India is also a part of the SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) consortium.
The Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre in Pinjore (Haryana) is the world’s largest facility within the state’s Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary for the breeding and conservation of Indian vulture species.