The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released a detailed action plan for conserving the Great Indian Bustard in Gujarat. Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav unveiled the strategy during a review meeting in Bhuj, where he also assessed progress on grassland restoration and Project Cheetah. The plan affects wildlife conservation efforts across Kachchh and has implications for how India approaches species protection going forward.
What the Gujarat Action Plan contains
The Gujarat Action Plan for Great Indian Bustard Conservation, prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India with the Gujarat Forest Department, sets out a science-based approach to save this critically endangered bird. The immediate target is to establish a population of over 30 birds and protect between 200 and 500 square kilometres of continuous, safe habitat.
The plan focuses on the Lala-Rawa landscape, covering approximately 200 square kilometres. Actions include restoring grassland, managing grazing, removing invasive plants, controlling predators and reducing threats from infrastructure.
Work already underway includes restoration of about 11 square kilometres of grassland at Naliya that was infested with Prosopis juliflora, an invasive species. A predator-proof fence spanning 30 kilometres has been built to protect 15 square kilometres. A soft release centre near Naliya will prepare captive-bred birds from Rajasthan before their eventual release into the wild.
In a significant breakthrough, a chick produced from a captive egg placed in a wild nest survived beyond three months, marking progress for the species’ recovery in Gujarat.
The review also covered broader grassland conservation, with a proposed five-year national assessment to map, evaluate and restore India’s grasslands, which cover nearly 24% of the country’s land but remain severely degraded.
Project Cheetah continues to expand, with the population growing from 29 founder cheetahs to 52 individuals, including 49 cubs born in India. Protected habitat for cheetahs now covers 3,428 square kilometres through integrated management of Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar, with Banni Grasslands in Gujarat and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh identified as future release sites.
What this means for you
If you live in or visit Kachchh, conservation efforts will reshape how grasslands and wildlife habitats are managed, potentially affecting land use and tourism. The success of the action plan depends on community participation alongside scientific management. For competitive exam aspirants, understanding landscape-level conservation and species recovery programmes is increasingly relevant to UPSC and state forestry examinations.