GANDHI SAGAR SANCTUARY (Syllabus GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary will be the second home for cheetahs in India, after the Kuno National Park.

Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary

• Location: It is situated at eastern Madhya Pradesh.
• Spread: It is spread over two districts of Madhya Pradesh, i.e., Mandsaur and Nimach.
• Area: It covers 368 square kilometres and has an additional 2,500 sq km area surrounding it.
• Establishment: The sanctuary was notified in the year 1974 and added to the list of sanctuaries in 1984.
• Presence of Water Bodies: The Gandhi Sagar dam, constructed on the river in 1960, lies within the area of the sanctuary, and so does parts of its reservoir, which is 726 sq km large in area and the third largest in the country.
• River: The Chambal River flows through this sanctuary, dividing it into two parts.
• Flora: The principal tree species found here are Khair, Salai, Kardhai, Dhawda, Tendu, and Palash.
• Fauna: Herbivores like Chinkara, Nilgai, and Spotted Deer, and carnivores like the Indian Leopard, Striped Hyena, and Jackal are found in good numbers in the region.
• Comparison It looks like Maasai Mara [a national reserve in Kenya known for its savanna wilderness and wildlife including lions, giraffes, zebras, hippos, elephants, and, of course, cheetahs].

Kuno National Park

• Situated: Between the Aravallis and the Madhav National Park, Kuno serves as an important wildlife corridor
• Establishment: It was notified as a sanctuary in 1981 and then upgraded to a national park in 2018. 
• Area: 750 kilometers of pristine wilderness.
• Vegetation: The tropical dry deciduous forest mainly consists of Anogeissus pendula (Kardhai), Senegalia catechu (Khair) Boswellia serrata (Salai), and associated flora.