Bhopal: Under a major conservation threat, 24 of Madhya Pradesh’s 26 wildlife sanctuaries remain without final notification even though many were declared protected areas four decades ago.According to a complaint submitted to the Chief Secretary citing official forest department records, it has been alleged that most of the sanctuaries in the state are stuck in “initial notification limbo” under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, leaving critical habitats facing legal uncertainty and conservation safeguards, including the implementation of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs), are being weakened.Citing records of the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), complainant and wildlife activist Ajay Dubey claims that ecologically important sanctuaries like Ratapani and Singhori – initially notified in 1976, are still awaiting final notification. Similar pending cases exist in Ghatigaon, Ken Gharial (1981), and National Chambal Sanctuary (1982), with official records reportedly showing no final notification.The complaint describes delays resulting from decades-long inaction by the district administration in settlement of land and community rights. Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, the District Collector acts as the Forest Settlement Officer and has to complete verification of existing rights before the state government issues the final notification under Section 26A.Even when the final notification was finally issued, the delay was extraordinary, the complaint says, citing the Kheoni Sanctuary, which reportedly received the final notification only in 2006, almost 24 years after its initial announcement in 1982.This representation links a long-standing legal bond to ecological risks on the ground. Citing an official communication from the office of the area director of the Satpura Tiger Reserve, it is alleged that untreated sewage and solid waste from the Pachmarhi Cantonment Board area is being released into the Wainganga stream, which flows through the Pachmarhi sanctuary.The complainant warned that pollution of natural water bodies inside protected habitats could put wildlife, including tigers, at risk of disease and pointed to the 2018 epidemic in Gir National Park, where more than 20 Asiatic lions died in a short period. No immediate response was available from the state government.