Gandhinagar, March 16 The Gujarat government is preparing the vast Banni grasslands in Kutch district as a potential habitat for cheetahs, with ₹14.70 crore already spent on ecosystem development, state Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said in the assembly on Monday.
Cheetahs, which went extinct in India several decades ago, were brought in from Africa and housed in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh starting September 2022 as part of an ambitious reintroduction project.
Speaking on the budgetary demands for his department, Modhwadia said cheetahs were present in India and Gujarat before 1947 but disappeared later, making it necessary to create ecosystems where the species can be reintroduced.
"Efforts to prepare the Banni grasslands in Kutch for the species gathered momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Gir National Park in March 2025. The PM stayed overnight at Sasan, undertook a safari and chaired key wildlife-related meetings there, including those of International Big Cat Alliance and National Board for Wildlife," he said in the House.
"During these discussions, a special mention was made that an ecosystem for cheetahs could be developed in the Banni grasslands of Kutch. Following this, preparations were initiated to create the required habitat," Modhwadia said.
He said funds from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) were utilized to begin ecological restoration and infrastructure development in the region, adding that ₹14.70 crore has been spent so far to develop an ecosystem for cheetahs inside the Banni grasslands.
He expressed confidence that once cheetahs are introduced in the future, the region could emerge as a major wildlife tourism destination similar to Sasan Gir.
"In the coming days, when cheetahs arrive, just like Sasan is buzzing with tourists, Kutch will also become a popular destination. The Banni grasslands, which spread across around 2,000 square kilometres, are considered the largest grassland ecosystem in Asia. The landscape is unique due to its geographical features. The region lies between desert terrain on one side and wetlands on the other, with expansive grasslands in between," he said.
The state government has been working on ecological restoration of the grasslands, which had been affected by the spread of the invasive plant species Prosopis juliflora, locally known as "gando baval". It has affected the natural grassland ecosystem and the livelihoods of Maldhari pastoral communities who traditionally depended on the area, Modhwadia said.
"Between 2014-15 and 2025-26, authorities removed Prosopis juliflora from about 6,300 hectares of land in the Banni region. The government now plans to expand restoration efforts further. Grass plantation has been planned across an additional 5,000 hectares in the coming period, keeping in mind the Centre's proposed cheetah conservation project," the minister told the House.