Description

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context:

Additional chief secretary (ACS) of forest and wildlife recently asked the district administration to submit a report on illegal construction around the sanctuary and their status to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEF & CC).

About Sultanpur National Park

Location	Haryana
Ramsar Site	Recognised as a Ramsar site in 2021
Part of Flyway	Central Asian Flyway
Vegetation	Tropical and dry deciduous types such as grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, jamun, neem, berberis, and species of Acacia.
Bird Population	50,000 birds of more than 100 species visit annually
Historical Background	Named after Rajput Chauhan Sultan Singh
Upgraded Under	Section 35 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Areas Comprising the National Park	Land from Sadhrana, Chandu, Sultanpur, and Saidpur villages
Resident Birds	Common hoopoe, paddyfield pipit, purple sunbird, little cormorant, common spoonbill, gray francolin, etc.
Migratory Birds	Siberian crane, greater flamingo, ruff, black-winged stilt, common teal, common greenshank, etc.
Summer Migratory Birds	Asian Koel, black-crowned night heron, grey heron, Indian golden oriole, etc.
Conservation efforts	Construction of mounds, widening of paths, and digging four tube wells.
Government Programs	Part of the Union government’s Amrit Dharohar initiative, to promote tourism at Ramsar sites

Geography of Haryana:

National Parks

Name	Location	Major Wildlife
Sultanpur National Park	Gurugram	Common hoopoe, purple sunbird, painted stork, black-necked stork, kingfisher, etc.
Kalesar National Park	Yamunanagar	Elephant, wild boar, sambhar, hare, chital, red junglefowl, monkey, porcupine

Wildlife Sanctuaries

Name	Location	Major Wildlife
Bhindawas Wildlife Sanctuary	Jhajjar	Neelgai, jackal, langur, blue peafowl, rufous treepie, hornbill, barbet
Khaparwas Wildlife Sanctuary	Jhajjar	Neelgai, jackal, hornbill, rufous treepie, blue peafowl
Nahar Wildlife Sanctuary	Rewari	Neelgai, jackal, langur, rufous treepie, hornbill, coppersmith barbet
Chhilchhila Wildlife Sanctuary	Kurukshetra	Blue peafowl, rufous treepie, hornbill, coppersmith barbet
Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary	Kaithal	Wild boar, neelgai, jackal, langur, rufous treepie, hornbill
Abubshahar Wildlife Sanctuary	Sirsa	Neelgai, wild boar
Khol Hi-Raitan Wildlife Sanctuary	Panchkula	Wild boar, neelgai, jackal, langur, hornbill, rufous treepie
Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary	Pinjore	Wild boar, neelgai, jackal, langur, rufous treepie
Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary	Surajkund	Leopard, painted stork, red-headed vulture, Egyptian vulture, francolin

Conservation Areas

Name	Location	Major Wildlife
Bir Bara Ban Wildlife Sanctuary	Jind, Haryana	Neelgai, jackal, langur, blue peafowl, rufous treepie
Mangar Bani Conservation Area	Faridabad	Leopard, langur, jackal, blue peafowl

Animal & Bird Breeding Centers

Name	Location	Major Wildlife
Chinkara Breeding Centre, Kairu	Bhiwani	Chinkara, blue peafowl
Crocodile Breeding Centre, Kurukshetra	Kurukshetra, Bhor Saidan	Mugger crocodiles
Peacock & Chinkara Breeding Centre	Jhabua, Rewari	Peacock, chinkara
Vulture Conservation & Breeding Centre	Pinjore, Bir Shikargah WLS	Indian vulture

Source:

TOI

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding Sultanpur National Park:

It is located at Sultanpur village in Haryana and is also known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.
The park was designated as a Ramsar site in 2023.
Sultanpur National Park is part of the Central Asian Flyway, making it a crucial site for migratory birds.

How many of the above-given statements is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Sultanpur National Park, also known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, is located in Sultanpur village in Haryana.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Sultanpur National Park was designated as a Ramsar site earlier in 2021, not in 2023.

Statement 3 is correct: Sultanpur National Park is a part of the Central Asian Flyway, making it a crucial site for migratory birds.