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Recent habitat management in Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Solapur, Maharashtra

Maharashtra is one of the six states of India where Great Indian Bustards are still seen. The Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary of Maharashtra is located in Ahmednagar and Solapur districts which are drought prone and semi-arid. In 1975 the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), financed by the World Bank was initiated in Solapur District. Establishment of pastures and woodlots by the forest department under DPAP resulted in regeneration of wildlife, benefited by the protection of their habitat. The bustard was first sighted in the DPAP plots of Nannaj in 1978.