A gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on June 18 has revised the schedule of protected areas in the border districts of Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Barmer, Phalodi, and Jalore.
This amendment also includes Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders within the regulatory framework by clarifying the category.
The updated schedule encompasses various tehsils in districts adjacent to the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan.
The order exempts the city limits of significant towns, including Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Barmer, and Sanchore, along with major tourist areas in the Jaisalmer region, such as Sam, Kuldhara, Lodrava, and Bada Bagh.
“The protected areas mentioned in the above table shall not apply to the following regions: the surrounding areas of cities, towns, and villages along National Highway Nos. 62, 11, and 68; the city limits of Sriganganagar, Suratgarh, Bikaner, Phalodi, Bap, Pokaran, Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Sanchore,” stated the notification.
The villages and tourist attractions, specifically Amarsagar, Ludrava, Kuldara, Bada Bagh (Black Bar), Akal, Sam, Unda, and Khuhri within the Jaisalmer district, utilized for tourism-related activities such as desert safaris, camping, and desert rallies, extending 500 metres on both sides of the roads leading to these destinations and the boundaries of these villages have also been exempted.
