Centre defers nod to 4-lane project passing via Uttarakhand tiger reserve

Wildlife panel of the Union Environment Ministry has deferred nod to the National Highway Authority of India’s (NHAI) four-lane project, which was proposed to pass through Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Shivalik Elephant Reserve in Uttarakhand.

The highway will connect Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh to Kotdwar in Uttarakhand. Rajaji National Park is an ideal tiger and leopard habitat, which is also home to more than 300 species of birds.

While the Uttarakhand Government had cleared the project early this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) said a committee would be constituted comprising of officials from the ministry, Wildlife Institute of India, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and NHAI would visit the site, where the road was proposed and assess its impact on the wildlife.

“The proposed area for the project has movement of elephants and tigers. This committee should carry out a comprehensive site appraisal to assess the habitat quality, verify that adequate conservation measures are in place and provide recommendations for mitigating any negative effects on wildlife and the ecosystem. Any decision on the proposal should be based on the findings and recommendations of the committee,” an official from the Environment Ministry said.

At present, the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and National Highway-58 on the Dehradun-Haridwar cuts through Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

A study by the Union Environment Ministry revealed that the increasing vehicular movement on the highways passing through the national park was impacting the movement of wildlife. “As there is an increase in the human population in the nearby areas and developmental activities, with increase in vehicle traffic pressure on national highways and railway track existing across the park were found to be creating negative impacts on the overall movement of large groups of the elephants,” the study said.