Great Himalayan National Park nominated for World Heritage tag

New Delhi, May 11: The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) of Himachal Pradesh has been nominated for the prestigious UNESCO-approved World Heritage Site status.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the advisory body to the UNESCO Committee on Nature, has nominated 12 natural and mixed sites from across the world for the World Heritage Status and India's GHNP is one among them.

IUCN will present its recommendations to the World Heritage Committee during its 38th meeting from June 15 to 25 in Doha, Qatar. It will also discuss the necessary action to conserve world's natural wonders in a range of debates and side events.

The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, one of the most picturesque areas in the Western Himalayas -- well known for its exquisite floral and faunas biodiversity -- had lost the chance to get the World Heritage Site status last year.

The GHNP, located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh and covering an area of 754.4 square kms, is naturally protected by snow covered, steep ridges on its northern, eastern and southern boundaries.

It is contiguous with the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary in the south-east, Pin Valley National Park in the north-east and Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in the north. These areas form the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area. The area was declared as National Park under the Wildlife (Protection Act) 1972 by the Himachal Pradesh Government in 1999.

This pristine area of temperate forests and alpine meadows surrounded by high mountains has remained without any human interference since 1999.

The GHNP harbours a wide variety of wildlife habitats and high biological diversity within a small area. It harbours the most important gene pool of Western Himalayan flora and fauna.

This includes endangered mammalian species such as snow leopard, Asiatic black bear and Himalayan brown bear.

PTI