Hastinapur Sanctuary

Hastinapur Sanctuary was founded in 1986, in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bijnore and Jyotiba Phule Nagar, in Uttar Pradesh, India. The Hastinapur Sanctuary sprawling in an area of 2073 km². The population of the wild animals includes various species of animals including antelope, sambhar, cheetal, blue bull, leopard, hyena, wild cat, and different types of birds. It is also houses of alligators.

Location

By Air

The nearest airport is Delhi, which is around 110 km away.

By Rail

Nearest railhead is Meerut, which is 40 km from the sanctuary.

By Road

Hastinapur on National Highway No. 119 Delhi-Meerut-Pauri and is connected by road to all parts of the state.

Attractions

The marshy land along the Ganges makes this sanctuary a haven for migratory birds. Over 350 species of birds are found here such as painted stork, black and white necked stork, sarus crane, as well as night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet, colourful woodpecker, barbet, kingfisher, minivet, bee-eater and bulbul.

Hastinapur National Park is rich in faunal wealth because of the varied types of ecological niches existing in the reserve. The main groups occur are mammals, birds, reptiles (snakes and lizards), amphibians (frogs & toads) butterflies and fishes, and chiefly the invertebrate groups are, the Scorpions, Centipedes, Odonata (dragon & damselflies), Hymenoptera (wasps, bees, etc.) Isoptera (termites) and Lepidoptera which comprises more than 60 species. Our National Bird Peacock is found here in abundance.

Other inhabitants include the sloth bear, jackal, wild pig and the lesser cats- fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cat and civet. Hastinapur has also an abundance of birds. There are spectacular painted storks, black and white necked storks, sarus cranes and varied night birds of prey, ranging from the great Indian horned owl to the jungle owlet, Colorful woodpeckers, barbets, kingfishers, minivets, bee eaters and bulbuls flit through the forest canopy.

Gangetic dolphins have been spotted in certain stretches along the river, especially between Haridwar and Bijnor.

Save Sanctuary Movement

The Hastinapur wildlife sanctuary has one third part of total sanctuary area of Uttar pradesh, 25 years ago it has notified as wildlife sanctuary to protect ecology, biodiversity of Ganga basin and conserve global, national, regional, state and local environment. It is important that steps are taken by the government to develop this area in the same way as they have developed Corbett National Park or the Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary and invite investment for development of hotel and other tourism related infrastructure inside the sanctuary area to encourage tourism. This will give lot of employment opportunities to the local population at the same time develop the area for wildlife tourism.

Industrial activities are generating air, water and noise pollution in the sanctuary, stone crushers, sugar mill, organics, paper mill, chemical industries, cotton mill, fiber unit, automobiles, rubber industries, brick bhattas and others polluted units are violating the acts openly. Large numbers are decreasing of wildlife as swamp deer, the Ganges dolphin, skimmer, leopard, crocodile and other IUCN Red Listed species because natural habitat damaged of indigenous species and those hunting.

To make a proper sanctuary, Greenman Vijaypal Baghel an environmental activist is fighting against hunting, illegal encroaching, tree cutting, sand mining, biodiversity destroying, violating of Wildlife Protection act and other related Hon'ble court's guidelines since 2001. Paryawaran Sachetak Samiti & WWF is organizing many activities to protect Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.

To protect hastinapur sanctuary Dr. RAVINDRA SHUKLA is working hard in this field.he is an advocate, environmentlist animal right activist and working with Smt. Meneka Sanjay Gandhi's organisation PFA from last ten years .he had lodge many FIR against animal smugglers, mining mafias wildlife smugglers.He is fighting against corrupt officials.

External links

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