Ahmedabad: Trees uprooted due to successive cyclones in Gir jungle should be removed to achieve grassland suitable for the roaming of lions, Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani suggested today while interacting with media persons about his newly launched book on Gir jungle. Nathwani said he spoke to the Prime Minister about this during his recent meeting in the national capital. The Prime Minister had, in the same meeting, launched Nathwani’s book. The meeting between Nathwani and the Prime Minister lasted for half an hour. Nathwani mentioned that the topic of discussion was the Gir Lions, and that the Prime Minister himself has a great love for lions.

In various replies to media queries, Nathwani emphasized the need for a second home for lions at Barda Hills jungle. He said that according to his estimates, there could be around 900 lions, but only 60 could live in the Gir area. There is a need to develop a couple more areas for lions, including Barda Hills. He mentioned that he talked to the Prime Minister about this and is also in discussions with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Gujarat Minister Mulubhai Bera on this topic.

“Whatever the official figures of lion population, my estimate is that there are around 900 lions. Gir can house only 60-65 of them. The other lions are moving into surrounding areas like Pipavav, Palitana, Khambha, Visavadar, Dhari, and Amreli. People post photos of lions in their areas on social media. Lions can also be seen in coastal Saurashtra, and they roam around the Somnath to Chorvad coast, reaching up to Jamnagar and Rajkot. Since there is insufficient space in Gir, they are roaming outside. Barda Hills should be developed as their second home. There are currently four lion cubs and a pair of lions there. More such areas should be developed for their habitat. New sanctuaries should be established.”

Nathwani also suggested transferring Nilgai to the Gir jungle area so that lions can have sufficient prey.

Nathwani stressed the need for more tourism infrastructure. He said, “There are three good hotels, including Woods run by Maulik Bhagat, Postcard, and one more. But that’s not sufficient. There should be more hotels. Additionally, the runway of Keshod Airport should be expanded to 300 meters in length for larger planes. Currently, visitors come from Diu and Rajkot airports, but Keshod Airport is closer to Gir jungle. It takes only 30 minutes to reach via Mendarda from Keshod Airport. The airport has a few flights from Mumbai, but often some flights are canceled. Its runway is not large enough to accommodate more and larger planes. There are one lakh tourist arrivals annually for lions, but there is scope for even more.”

Nathwani said he, along with Maulik Bhagat (son of BJP leader Parindu Bhagat alias Kakubhai), is working to ensure the development of Keshod Airport, and this topic was also part of his discussion with the Prime Minister in their recent meeting.

Regarding efforts to safeguard lions against accidental deaths, Nathwani said that boundary walls have been built around 7,500 open wells so far. He explained that lions walk with their heads held up in the evening and therefore may fall into open wells. Reliance has built walls around open wells through its own initiatives. He also mentioned holding group meetings with farmers to convince them to build walls around open wells.

On the issue of lions being hit by moving trains, including goods and passenger trains, Nathwani said that a new design of fencing around the railway tracks is being prepared, and he would share it with the media once it is ready. The new design will include provisions for passages for lions that need to cross the tracks. He noted that the current fencing is not breach-proof and that its rods and wires are often stolen. Nathwani mentioned that although the prescribed speed limit for trains passing through lion-populated areas is 30 km/hr, drivers frequently exceed this limit at night, putting lions in danger.

Nathwani also suggested that silver coins with a lion motif should be introduced as souvenirs for visitors to Gir, and he discussed this idea with the Prime Minister as well.

Call of the Gir is Nathwani’s second book on Gir lions. He mentioned that another book on lions by him will be published in a couple of years. Nathwani said he now has a house near Gir jungle and visits Gir for at least two to three days every month. He also recalled how, driven by his passion for lions decades ago, he would visit Gir jungle in the simplest possible manner.

— DeshGujarat