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Eco-Sensitive Zone Declared for Crucial Wildlife Corridor
26 Feb
Summary
- An area of 212.59 sq km in Sindhdurg district is now an ESA.
- This protects the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg wildlife corridor in the Western Ghats.
- The corridor is vital for tigers, leopards, and elephants.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has finalized the declaration of an ecologically sensitive area (ESA) spanning 212.59 square kilometers. This zone encompasses 25 villages within the Sindhdurg district and is crucial for the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg wildlife corridor.
The Bombay High Court mandated this declaration following a public interest litigation filed by NGOs Vanashakti and Awaaz Foundation. The corridor, situated within the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, is vital for the conservation of its entire ecosystem, including its wildlife and movement corridors.
This ecologically sensitive zone is characterized by dense tropical and semi-evergreen forests. It plays a critical role in facilitating wildlife movement between protected areas and sustaining healthy populations of threatened and endemic species. Key fauna in the region include tigers, leopards, elephants, and Bonnet macaques, all of which will benefit from this increased protection.




