The Gujarat government has reorganised the Porbandar Forest Division, overhauling its range and beat structure to bolster field-level administration as Asiatic lions re-establish a presence in Barda forest — their first in 143 years. The Forest and Environment Department announced the restructuring on Tuesday, 29 September, saying the changes took effect immediately upon publication of the government resolution.

What the Reorganisation Covers

Approved under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the revamped structure redraws administrative control over forest ranges, beats, officers, staff, and departmental resources across Porbandar district. The stated objective is sharper field-level accountability for forest conservation, wildlife management, and lion rehabilitation in Barda.

Under the new arrangement, the Porbandar Range will span 6,840.84 hectares across 80 villages, divided into beats covering Porbandar City, Gosabara, Moker, Visavada, Kantela, Madhavpur, and Satiya. The Ranavav Range will cover 13,051.25 hectares and 27 villages, with areas including Godana, Bileshwar, Savdivadar, and Ranavav distributed among its beats.

Key Territorial Transfers

The restructuring includes a significant boundary adjustment: 305.94 hectares from the RFW Bhatia Range of the Jamnagar Forest Division will be transferred to the Bhanvad Range of the Porbandar Forest Division. The transferred area covers four villages — Kandarda Jogna, Sajdiyala, Juna, and Jambusar — in Bhanvad taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district.

Additionally, the Kutiyana Range, Porbandar Social Forestry Range, and Ranavav Social Forestry Range will be brought under the Porbandar Forest Division, giving it a total of seven ranges.

Administrative and Staffing Changes

To support the expanded structure, two Assistant Conservators of Forests have been provisioned. Assistant Conservator of Forests-1 will oversee the Porbandar, Porbandar Social Forestry, and Ranavav Social Forestry ranges, while Assistant Conservator of Forests-2 will manage the Ranavav, Bhanvad, and Kutiyana ranges along with the Mobile Squad (T.A.) Range.

One vacant Assistant Conservator of Forests post from the two sanctioned posts at Kevadia will be transferred to the Porbandar Forest Division. The division will continue to function under the Junagadh Wildlife Circle, with a Deputy Conservator of Forests overseeing the division. The reorganisation also involves the redistribution of vehicles, weapons, walkie-talkies, wireless equipment, records, computers, furniture, and other departmental assets.

Why the Lions' Return Makes This Significant

The administrative overhaul is directly tied to the natural return of Asiatic lions to Barda Wildlife Sanctuary after 143 years — a development widely regarded as a conservation milestone for the species, whose only wild population has historically been confined to the Gir forest in Saurashtra. This comes amid broader efforts by the Gujarat government to expand the lions' range and reduce dependence on a single habitat, which wildlife experts have long flagged as a vulnerability for long-term species survival.

Notably, the Barda sanctuary, located roughly 100 kilometres from Gir, had been identified as a potential secondary habitat for years. The lions' natural dispersal into the area has now prompted a formal administrative response to ensure the forest infrastructure can support coexistence and monitoring.

What Comes Next

With the resolution in immediate effect, forest departments will begin the transfer and redistribution of staff and assets. Wildlife managers will be expected to operationalise monitoring protocols for the lion population in Barda under the reorganised beat structure. The long-term success of the restructuring will hinge on whether the expanded administrative framework translates into effective on-ground wildlife management — a question that conservationists and wildlife authorities will be watching closely in the months ahead.