<p>The Maharashtra Government has stepped in to initiate a major plan to save the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican bird species.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has sanctioned Rs 64 lakh to Maharashtra Forest Department to aid the effort.</p>.<p>According to state Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod, the funds would be utilised in Nannaj (Solapur), Warora (Chandrapur) and Akola.</p>.<p>The Great Indian Bustards or GIBs and Lesser Floricans are facing extinction.</p>.<p>Thackeray, a photographer and conservationist, has sanctioned Rs 1.25 crore for 2020-21 for the conservation of GIBs and Lesser Florican. “Rs 63 lakh is the first instalment of the same,” said Rathod.</p>.<p>“This is welcome news! Very positive indeed! After a long long time, any Maharashtra state government is talking about bustard conservation. I am not sure what plans they have for bustard habitat development. I hope they will ensure that it is retained as a grassland savanna and not convert it to woodland,”(sic) said Kedar Gore, the Director of The Corbett Foundation, which is engaged in conversation of the GIBs.</p>.<p>It may be recalled, in 2019 that the Supreme Court had constituted a committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of these species.</p>.<p>Over the last 50 years, the population of the Great Indian Bustard has recorded a decline of over 82 per cent and in the last few decades, the population of the Lesser Florican has seen a sharp decline of 80 per cent. A plea blamed various reasons for the threats faced by the two endangered birds including mortality by collision with infrastructure, particularly powerlines and wind turbines, depletion of grasslands and hunting.</p>
<p>The Maharashtra Government has stepped in to initiate a major plan to save the Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican bird species.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has sanctioned Rs 64 lakh to Maharashtra Forest Department to aid the effort.</p>.<p>According to state Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod, the funds would be utilised in Nannaj (Solapur), Warora (Chandrapur) and Akola.</p>.<p>The Great Indian Bustards or GIBs and Lesser Floricans are facing extinction.</p>.<p>Thackeray, a photographer and conservationist, has sanctioned Rs 1.25 crore for 2020-21 for the conservation of GIBs and Lesser Florican. “Rs 63 lakh is the first instalment of the same,” said Rathod.</p>.<p>“This is welcome news! Very positive indeed! After a long long time, any Maharashtra state government is talking about bustard conservation. I am not sure what plans they have for bustard habitat development. I hope they will ensure that it is retained as a grassland savanna and not convert it to woodland,”(sic) said Kedar Gore, the Director of The Corbett Foundation, which is engaged in conversation of the GIBs.</p>.<p>It may be recalled, in 2019 that the Supreme Court had constituted a committee to urgently frame and implement an emergency response plan for the protection of these species.</p>.<p>Over the last 50 years, the population of the Great Indian Bustard has recorded a decline of over 82 per cent and in the last few decades, the population of the Lesser Florican has seen a sharp decline of 80 per cent. A plea blamed various reasons for the threats faced by the two endangered birds including mortality by collision with infrastructure, particularly powerlines and wind turbines, depletion of grasslands and hunting.</p>
