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Uttarakhand HC tells Centre, state to inspect Corbett tiger reserve, file report
The Uttarakhand high court decision to seek an action-taken report comes after a NTCA panel described illegal construction in Corbett Tiger Reserve an excellent example of “administrative and managerial failure”, lawyer Gaurav Bansal said.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday ordered the union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and the state’s top officials for forest and wildlife to inspect the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and submit its action-taken report by November 9 on complaints about illegal constructions and felling of trees in the tiger reserve, and in context of a previous report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Lawyer and wildlife activist Gaurav Bansal said the NTCA was earlier ordered by the Delhi high court to look into complaints flagged in his petition regarding illegal construction, felling of trees and construction of approach roads in the tiger reserve.
The committee constituted by NTCA submitted its report on October 22, Bansal said, adding that the panel referred to the possibility that forest officers may have forged government records to allow illegal construction of roads and buildings in CTR.
The committee described the illegal construction in CTR an excellent example of “administrative and managerial failure”, recommended vigilance inquiry against Uttarakhand forest officers and recommended that the union ministry take strong action against erring forest officers.
Bansal said the main finding of the NTCA committee, according to its report, included illegal construction in CTR without any approval and without financial sanctions, instead of building cottages inside the reserve “illegal” construction of buildings was permitted, no statutory approvals /sanctions were obtained for construction activities on Kandi road, Morghatti road, Pakhrau forest rest house and water body near Pakhrau forest rest house.
“The NTCA committee pointed out that all these works were in violation of Indian Forest Act 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1971, and Forest (Conservation) Act 1980”, he said.
The committee also sought verification of the documents produced before it since they seem to be forged and recommended immediate demolition of illegal construction. It also asked that the forest survey of National Remote Sensing Centre should undertake remote sensing to ascertain the accurate number of felled trees in CTR.
In September, the central empowered committee constituted by the Supreme Court also sought the response of Uttarakhand chief secretary and the union ministry to allegations of illegal cutting of trees for Pakhrau tiger safari, construction of structures and water body in Corbett tiger reserve landscape.
Bansal, who approached the panel, said his complaint pointed to the felling of thousands of trees in the name of the establishment of Pakhrau tiger safari in CTR.
Bansal said a tiger safari is being developed in the Gujjar Sot, Pakhrau Block, Sonanadi Range, Kalagarh Division in Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Bansal said the union ministry’s forest advisory committee earlier recommended the proposal only after the written assurance from Uttarakhand forest officials that only 163 will be felled for the setting up of the tiger safari.
“Contrary to its undertaking, forest department officials have uprooted thousands of trees in the name of establishment of Pakhrau Tiger Safari and that too within Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is one of the best and oldest National Park in the Country. It is not only against the statutory approvals granted by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) but is also contempt of the 2001 SC order in which the apex court expressly observed that no tree whatsoever shall be felled in the Corbett Tiger Reserve by the State or anyone else,” he said.
According to the minutes of the meeting of the forest advisory committee (FAC) held on September 21, 2020, the proposal for seeking prior approval of the Centre for non-forestry use of 106.16 hectares of forest land for setting up of the tiger safari, was recommended by FAC on the condition that all requirements listed in the statutory approvals obtained from NTCA and CZA would be complied with and the state government will ensure the infrastructure of the tiger safari is created mainly from bamboo and other natural materials.
