Mohan Kankate
Nashik
Trimbakeshwar, the hill region abundant with flora and fauna and a famous pilgrimage site, has finally received a security cover with the government declaring some areas as a Conservation Reserve. An area of 96.97 square kilometres including Brahmagiri hills and the surrounding area of Trimbakeshwar, the origin of Godavari, has been declared a ‘Conservation Reserve Area’.
Ten proposals were submitted from the Nashik district for conservation reserve areas. The proposal of three talukas was approved. This included the area of 31 villages in Trimbakeshwar, 28 villages in Igatpuri and 30 villages in Kalwan.
After this, the state government issued a notification through the gazette and declared an area of 96.97 square kilometres in the Trimbakeshwar area as a ‘conservation reserve area’ under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Accordingly, boundaries have been drawn in the North – Vaighalpada, Waghera, Korivaj, Chinchwad, Jategaon Budruk; In the East – Kone, Goddhyachapada, Malegaon; in the South – Gorthan, Velunje; and in the West – Varasvihir, Kharval and Gaddavane.
The declaration of a 96.97 sq. km conservation reserve area will help in the protection of wildlife. Because leopards, rabbits, deer and other wild animals are being hunted due to their increased presence. But, now the area will be protected as a conservation reserve and rare flora and fauna will be protected. Also, the creation of a conservation reserve area will also prevent animal grazing in the forest land as the livelihood of the farmers in this area depends on the agriculture and dairy business. The farmers of this area used to graze animals on the wasteland of the forest department. However, now some areas of this wasteland have been declared as conservation reserves, so the farmers have to graze their animals on their own land.
