Jaipur: With a view to increase the forest cover in the state, it has been proposed to confer the status of conservation reserves on eleven forests in the state. With that the total number of conservation reserves will go up to 24. According to VS Singh, additional chief secretary, environment and forests, “The state wildlife board has given its approval and seven forest areas are to be notified, and is awaiting government approval in the cabinet.” Recently the state government had declared Jawai Bandh forest as a conservation reserve. The forest has rich biodiversity and is situated in Pali district, close to the Kumbalgarh sanctuary. Besides, five other reserves would be at Hameergarh in Bhilwara, Rotu in Nagaur, Beed Fatehpur in Sikar, Mansa Mata in Jhunjhunu and Jhenmata in Sikar. In addition to these, eleven more forests, which are not large enough to be declared as sanctuary, are being considered to be made into conservation reserves including the Jhalana forest. “The Jhalana forest is not large enough to be declared a sanctuary. But once the notification is out, same rules would be applicable to these forests as wildlife sanctuaries,” said Singh. Declaring these forest areas as conservation reserves would entail that the department deputes special manpower under a special officer to ensure there is no overlapping of jurisdiction. “The department has already designated a divisional forest officer (DFO), wildlife, for Jhalana, Ramgarh and Nahargarh forests,” said Singh. As a result, the forest will be enclosed and the management would be vested with an organizational structure wherein active participation of local communities and quality of manpower would need to be monitored