The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding area in the Aravalli Range as an Eco-Sensitive Zone. This declaration is a step in preserving one of India's oldest mountain ecosystems, serving as a shock absorber between high-protection forest areas and human settlements.
Approximately 243 square kilometres, the Eco-Sensitive Zone covers a belt ranging from 0 to 1 kilometre around the sanctuary boundary. It spans across 94 villages in the districts of Rajsamand, Pali and Udaipur in Rajasthan. Notified under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, the Kumbhalgarh region is a unique ecotone — a transition zone between the hilly Aravalli range and the Thar Desert.
It acts as a vital link for animal movement between Kumbhalgarh and the Todgarh Raoli Sanctuary. The eastern slopes feed the Banas River (flowing toward the Bay of Bengal), while the western slopes drain into tributaries of the Luni River (flowing toward the Arabian Sea). The area is home to the leopard, Indian wolf, sloth bear, Painted Francolin, striped hyena, chinkara and the Four-horned antelope (Chausingha).
While the Kumbhalgarh Fort (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) remains a major draw, the new rules strictly forbid any new commercial hotels or resorts within 1 km of the sanctuary boundary to prevent concrete jungles from encroaching on wildlife habitats. Existing hotels can continue to operate but must comply with new waste management and noise pollution norms. Any new tourism infrastructure must be small temporary structures designed specifically for eco-tourism, rather than massive concrete structures.
It is a verified catchment area for the Banas (East-flowing) and Luni (West-flowing) river systems. The prohibition of commercial mining, stone quarrying, and new polluting industries is effective immediately. A high-level monitoring committee (typically chaired by the District Collector or Divisional Commissioner) will be formed to oversee the implementation of these rules over the next two years.
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