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Asiatic lion's abode set for Unesco leap


The proposal for the World Heritage Site status for Gir and Girnar could make it the county's first to be on both cultural and nature site lists. The site houses the Asiatic Lion and also has several places like Girnar, Uparkot, Junagadh Caves and Ashok-era edicts. 

The area has large number of ancient monuments including the Adi-Kadi Vav and Navghan Kuwo, Buddhist Caves and Ashok edicts and is the only place to have Asiatic lions. Girnar hills also have a sun temple. 

The proposal for Gir and Girnar is ready and the final touches are being given before it's forwarded. This would probably be the first proposal from the country in the mixed category. Girnar hills are both nature and pilgrimage sites that have several cultural heritage along with several natural wonders such as vulture breeding grounds. The adjoining Gir forest is a national park and wildlife sanctuary. 

The forest department is all set to submit the proposals for inclusion of the Great and Little Rann of Kutch (GRK and LRK) and Gir and Girnar in Unesco's World Heritage Sites list. 

Both the proposals would have to be first cleared by the state's wildlife warden because they are protected areas under India's forest laws and then sent to the Union ministry of forest and environment, which will be then forward them to Unesco, the body that recognizes the site as such. 

For the GRK and LRK the proposal will be sent in the natural heritage category of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The GRK and LRK were already made it to the tentative list in 2010, however, last year the UNESCO body had sought some clarification from the Gujarat government and had asked to send the proposal afresh. The work was handed over to Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation. 

The department has formed a working group of six Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, headed by the state wildlife warden. The IFS officials were asked to prepare the new proposal, bringing in Dholavira and the wild ass found in these area. 

The Rann, considered the world's largest seasonal salty lagoon, is to be clubbed with the Little Rann of Kutch under the "natural heritage" criteria. 

Meanwhile, the Historic city of Ahmedabad, Dholavira in Kutch, Patan's Rani ki Vav stepwell and the wild ass sanctuary in the Little Rann of Kutch are on the list of tentative heritage sites. The Vav is all set to be declared as the World Heritage site in June.


 

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