Gujarat’s Banni grasslands: A heap of broken images, where the sun beats

A proposal to establish a large solar energy installation within the Banni grassland ecosystem of Kachchh district, Gujarat, has sparked conservation concern...

What Happened

A proposal to establish a large solar energy installation within the Banni grassland ecosystem of Kachchh district, Gujarat, has sparked conservation concerns and tribal land rights disputes.
The proposed project, led by NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, would occupy a significant portion of the 3,847 sq km Banni grassland — one of Asia's largest tropical grasslands and a biodiversity-rich dryland ecosystem.
The Chhari-Dhandh Wetland Conservation Reserve, contiguous with the Banni grasslands and recently designated a Ramsar Site (January 2026), would be directly affected by infrastructure development and ecological fragmentation in the surrounding area.
Maldhari communities — semi-nomadic pastoralists who have inhabited Banni for centuries — allege that the project threatens their traditional grazing rights and livelihoods dependent on the land.
Environmental groups argue the project bypasses ecological impact assessments required for ecologically sensitive areas, and that grassland ecosystems are systematically undervalued in India's renewable energy siting policies.

Static Topic Bridges

Banni Grasslands Reserve

Banni is a dryland grassland ecosystem located on the southern fringe of the Great Rann of Kutch in Kachchh district, Gujarat. Spanning approximately 3,847 sq km, it was declared a Protected Forest in May 1955 under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Banni is one of Asia's largest tropical grasslands and supports a distinctive flora and fauna adapted to arid and semi-arid conditions.

Area: approximately 3,847 sq km
Status: Protected Forest (1955) under the Indian Forest Act, 1927
Flora: 37 recorded grass species; dominated by saline-tolerant vegetation
Fauna: Indian wolf, Asiatic wild ass (khur), blackbuck, chinkara, Great Indian Bustard (critically endangered), 275+ bird species
Human communities: ~40 Maldhari hamlets comprising Halaypotra, Hingora, Hingorja, Jat, and Mutwa tribal groups

Connection to this news: The proposed solar project's land footprint within this protected forest raises questions about the adequacy of existing legal protections for grassland ecosystems, and the cumulative ecological impact on biodiversity-rich but legally underprotected habitats.

Chhari-Dhandh Wetland Conservation Reserve

The Chhari-Dhandh Wetland Conservation Reserve is a 22,700-hectare (227 sq km) seasonal freshwater wetland on the edge of the Banni grasslands in Kutch. It was notified as a Conservation Reserve in 2008 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making it Gujarat's first Conservation Reserve. In January 2026, it was designated a Ramsar Site — a wetland of international importance — becoming Gujarat's fifth and Kutch's first such designation.

Area: 22,700 hectares (227 sq km)
Status: Conservation Reserve (2008) under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Ramsar Site (January 2026)
Located on the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), a key migratory bird route from Siberia to the Indian Ocean
Hosts over 40,000 Common Cranes seasonally; 187 bird species recorded within the reserve; 283 in the surrounding area
Endangered species: Dalmatian Pelican, Oriental Darter, Black-necked Stork, Indian Skimmer, Grey Hypocolius

Connection to this news: Large-scale solar infrastructure adjacent to the Chhari-Dhandh reserve risks habitat fragmentation, altered hydrology, and disturbance to migratory bird corridors. Its recent Ramsar designation strengthens the case for precautionary environmental review.

Conservation Reserve Category under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

Conservation Reserves are a protected area category introduced by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002, under Section 36A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Unlike National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves can be established on government land without extinguishing the rights of local communities, making them better suited for areas with resident populations. They provide a buffer zone category that bridges the gap between fully protected areas and unprotected land.

Introduced: Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002
Declared by: State Government on government or community/private land
Rights of local communities are not extinguished upon declaration (unlike National Parks)
Management governed jointly by state forest department and a Conservation Reserve Management Committee
Sub-category of protected areas alongside National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Community Reserves

Connection to this news: Chhari-Dhandh's status as a Conservation Reserve reflects a co-management framework; solar project expansion near or within such areas would require fresh assessments under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and may conflict with the reserve's management plan.

Maldharis and Pastoral Land Rights

Maldharis (literally "animal keepers" in Gujarati) are semi-nomadic pastoralist communities who have traditionally managed the Banni grasslands through rotational grazing. They rear Kankrej cattle, Banni buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels — breeds uniquely adapted to the arid Kutch environment. Their land use practices have historically maintained the grassland's ecological balance by preventing bush encroachment.

Approximately 40 Maldhari hamlets spread across Banni
Key tribal groups: Halaypotra, Hingora, Hingorja, Jat, Mutwa
Livelihoods depend on rotational grazing rights across the Banni protected forest
Banni buffalo is a recognised indigenous livestock breed known for high milk yield under harsh conditions
Grassland degradation from prosopis juliflora invasion has already shrunk grazing land significantly

Connection to this news: Any large-scale land-use change within the Banni protected forest affects Maldhari livelihoods directly; their traditional rights, though not formally codified under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 for most of Gujarat's notified forests, are recognised through customary practice and state-level grazing rights.

Key Facts & Data

Banni grassland area: approximately 3,847 sq km in Kachchh, Gujarat
Protected Forest status since: May 1955 (under Indian Forest Act, 1927)
Chhari-Dhandh area: 22,700 hectares; Conservation Reserve since 2008
Chhari-Dhandh became a Ramsar Site: January 2026 (Gujarat's 5th, Kutch's 1st)
Bird species in Chhari-Dhandh: 187 within reserve, 283 in surrounding area
Great Indian Bustard (critically endangered, IUCN) is present in Banni
Banni grassland supports 275+ bird species and 37 grass species
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited holds the renewable energy siting mandate in Kutch
Central Asian Flyway (CAF) passes over Chhari-Dhandh — key corridor for Siberia-to-India migratory birds