Gujarat Government Restructures Porbandar Forest Division for Asiatic Lion Conservation

The Gujarat government has restructured the Porbandar Forest Division to improve management and conservation efforts for Asiatic lions returning to Barda forest. This reorganization aims to enhance administrative control, clarify responsibilities, and support wildlife management initiatives. With the return of these lions after 143 years, the new structure will facilitate better implementation of departmental schemes and address environmental issues in the region. The changes include the establishment of new ranges and the redistribution of resources to strengthen conservation efforts.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 29, 2026, 16:30 IST

Reorganization of Porbandar Forest Division

File image of Asiatic Lion(Photo: @india_plus_/X)

Gandhinagar, Sep 29: The Gujarat administration has undertaken a significant reorganization of the Porbandar Forest Division, including its range and beat structure, to enhance field-level management as Asiatic lions reestablish their presence in the Barda forest, according to the Forest and Environment Department.

This restructuring, which received approval from Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, aims to modify the administrative oversight of forest ranges, beats, personnel, and resources. The goal is to improve forest management and facilitate the execution of departmental initiatives while addressing forest and environmental challenges in Porbandar district.

The initiative follows the natural return of Asiatic lions to Barda after a gap of 143 years. The new administrative framework will encompass the Barda area and other forest regions within the Porbandar Forest Division, ensuring clearer responsibilities at both the range and beat levels.

Under the revised plan, the Porbandar Range will span 6,840.84 hectares and include 80 villages. It will be segmented into beats such as Porbandar City, Gosabara, Moker, Visavada, Kantela, Madhavpur, and Satiya, with designated areas and villages assigned to each beat.

The Ranavav Range will cover 13,051.25 hectares and 27 villages, with regions like Godana, Bileshwar, Savdivadar, and Ranavav allocated among various beats.

Additionally, the restructuring involves transferring 305.94 hectares from the RFW Bhatia Range of the Jamnagar Forest Division to the Bhanvad Range of the Porbandar Forest Division.

This transferred area includes four villages—Kandarda Jogna, Sajdiyala, Juna, and Jambusar—in Bhanvad taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district, now falling under the Porbandar Forest Division's administrative jurisdiction.

The Kutiyana Range, Porbandar Social Forestry Range, and Ranavav Social Forestry Range will also be integrated into the Porbandar Forest Division, resulting in a total of seven ranges.

To support this expanded structure, the government has allocated two Assistant Conservators of Forests. The first will manage the Porbandar, Porbandar Social Forestry, and Ranavav Social Forestry ranges, while the second will oversee the Ranavav, Bhanvad, and Kutiyana ranges, along with the Mobile Squad (T.A.) Range.

One vacant Assistant Conservator of Forests position from the two sanctioned posts at Kevadia will be reassigned to the Porbandar Forest Division, in addition to the existing role.

The Porbandar Forest Division will operate under the Junagadh Wildlife Circle, with the Deputy Conservator of Forests in charge and the two Assistant Conservators supervising their respective ranges.

The Range Forest Officer will also manage the Mobile Squad of the Porbandar Forest Division, integrating its operations into the newly organized administrative structure.

This restructuring will involve the transfer or redistribution of personnel and resources, including vehicles, weapons, communication devices, records, computers, furniture, and other departmental assets.

The government resolution indicates that these changes aim to clarify field-level responsibilities and bolster administrative support for forest conservation, wildlife management, and the rehabilitation of lions in Barda.

The resolution took effect immediately upon its publication.