Context: Recently, the NGT directed that a joint committee be constituted to look into the illegal constructions within Agra district’s Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary.

• The committee would consist of the chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh and nominees of the National Board for Wildlife and the forest division of MoEF&CC.

Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary

• It is a bird sanctuary located very close to Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
• It has been named after Soordas – the great poet of Hindi literature, who was born blind and whose place of birth is said to be within the boundary of this sanctuary.
• Within the sanctuary there is a large fresh water wetland, popularly known as Keetham jheel, covering area of 2.25sq km.
• Besides supporting numerous resident and migratory birds, it has the biggest Bear Rescue centre in India for rescued dancing bears.

Recognitions

• It was declared a Bird Sanctuary in 1991.
• Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is listed as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and is a proposed Ramsar site.