In a significant move, Maharashtra on Monday announced 12 new wildlife conservation areas spread across 693 square km and three new sanctuaries including an expanded Lonar Sanctuary in Buldhana. The decisions were taken at the State Wildlife Board`s 18th meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and it also approved setting up the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary in Aurangabad for which a proposal will be submitted to the National Wildlife Board.

The state has notified 15 conservation reserve areas, out of which 8 areas have been approved in the last two years alone and Thackeray expressed satisfaction over the addition of the 12 new conservation areas today. These are: two in Dhule district at Chivatibawri (66.04 square km), Aladari (100.56 square km), four in Nashik district at Kalvan (84.12 square km), Muragad (42.87 square km), Trimbakeshwar (96.97 square km), Igatpuri (88.499 square km), two in Raigad district at Raigad (47.62 square km) and Roha (27.30 square km), Pune district`s Bhor (28.44 square km), Satara district`s Dare-Khurd for butterflies (1.07 square km), Kolhapur district`s Masai Plateau (5.34 square km) and Nagpur district`s Mogarkasa (103.92 square km).