Chandigarh, Nov 18 (IANS) To protect the national bird and increase its population, the Haryana government has chalked out a plan to set up a sanctuary and breeding centres for peacocks in the state.

'We would establish peacock breeding centres similar to vulture breeding centres as their number has substantially decreased in the rural areas,' Haryana Forest Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said here Wednesday.

Also, the state government has planned to establish a sanctuary. 'We have forwarded this proposal to the union ministry of environment and forests for their approval,' he said.

Haryana is all set to start various initiatives to boost the state wildlife. The government has proposed to set up breeding centres at Pali-Gothra village and at Nahar wildlife sanctuary in Rewari district.

'Already there are three small zoos in the state at Bhiwani, Rohtak and Kurukshetra. I have directed the officers of my department to explore the possibility of setting up a zoo in Rewari district,' Yadav said.

Yadav made the announcements while presiding over a meeting of senior officials of the forest department here.

He said the state government had also taken up conservation breeding programme for rapidly disappearing vultures, in collaboration with the 'Bombay Natural History Society'.

'Three species of vultures belonging to gyps-genus species are being reared in state-of-the-art aviaries near Pinjore town. This is an international project where we have been successful in breeding endangered birds that have a role in keeping rural areas clean,' stated Yadav.

'The population of vultures is declining throughout the country and Indian vultures have reduced by up to 99 percent,' he pointed out.

The Haryana government is also giving a thrust to the conservation of the Red jungle-fowl and different varieties of deer and antelopes that exist in Haryana.

'Our efforts are on to breed these animals in captivity. Wildlife poaching is totally banned and it would not be tolerated at any cost,' he said.