Gujarat Forests and Environment Dept announces measures to enhance pilgrim safety in Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Gandinagar, July 13
In the wake of the tragic death of an 11-year-old boy in a lion attack on the Girnar hill staircase, the Gujarat Government has announced a series of measures to strengthen pilgrim safety in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary while ensuring wildlife conservation.
According to a release from the Gujarat CMO, the decisions were taken at a high-level meeting convened by the Forests and Environment Department following the incident, in which Mayur Chauhan, an 11-year-old boy from Kheda district, was fatally attacked by a lion near the 50th step on the new Girnar staircase route.
The meeting was attended by Gujarat Forests and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia, Minister of State Pravin Mali, and senior Forest Department officials. The discussions focused on preventing similar incidents in the future and improving safety arrangements for pilgrims visiting the sanctuary.
Arjun Modhwadia said the state government, under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has decided to implement several measures to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring, the release said.
The minister announced that permanent check posts will be established at sensitive locations within the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary where wildlife movement is frequent. These posts will facilitate continuous monitoring of wildlife activity and enhance visitor safety.
He further said that a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be prepared under the chairmanship of the Junagadh Collector in coordination with all concerned administrative departments. The SOP will lay down protocols for pilgrim safety, wildlife management, emergency response, and inter-departmental coordination in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary area.
As part of the new measures, the Girnar and Datar stairway routes will be declared "Silence Zones" to minimise unnecessary disturbance to wildlife and reduce the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict, the release noted.
The Forest Department will also introduce thermal drone surveillance across the sanctuary to continuously monitor wildlife movement and improve early warning capabilities.
To enhance public awareness, the department will launch an extensive outreach campaign to educate pilgrims and local residents on appropriate behaviour in wildlife habitats. The campaign will include safety guidelines, advisory messages, and awareness programmes aimed at reducing risks during visits to the sanctuary. Over 25 forest trackers will be deployed to keep watch on wildlife in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to a release, Arjun Modhwadia further said the Gujarat Government remains committed to maintaining a balance between ensuring the safety of pilgrims visiting the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary and conserving its rich wildlife and will take all necessary measures to achieve both objectives.
The meeting was attended by Vinod Rao, Principal Secretary, Forests and Environment; Jaipal Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife); and all Deputy Conservators of Forests and Conservators of Forests in the lion landscape.
— ANI
Reader Comments
My heart goes out to Mayur's family. 💔 Having visited Girnar many times, I know the lions roam freely near the steps. The SOP and check posts are welcome, but I hope they also consider installing more fencing or barriers at critical points. Pilgrims need to be aware this is their home too!
A balanced approach is needed. We can't remove lions from their habitat, nor restrict pilgrims' faith. The "Silence Zone" idea is creative—less noise means less stress for wildlife. But will the temple trusts cooperate? They often play loud bhajans. Hope the collector's SOP addresses this.
As an outsider, it's fascinating how India balances faith and conservation. In the West, we'd probably close the trail entirely. The 25 trackers and drones are good, but 25 people for a whole sanctuary? That's thin. Hope they scale up based on initial results.
Finally, some concrete action! I've been worried about this for years. The awareness campaign is crucial—many pilgrims don't realise they're in a wildlife sanctuary. I just hope the government doesn't stop at announcements. Regular audits and timely implementation are key. 🙏✨
Respectful criticism: thermal drones are great, but did they consider providing basic safety training to local guides and priests? They interact with pilgrims daily. Also, the release says "over 25 trackers"—that number seems low for such a large area. Let's see if they actually deploy more.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.