Govt body sends notice, seeks report on illegal tree cutting in Corbett
DEHRADUN: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has issued a notice to chief wildlife warden of Uttarakhand on allegations of illegal cutting of thousands of trees at Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR)’S in Kalagarh division for the Pakhrau Tiger Safari. The CZA issued the notice on Friday.
The development follows a legal notice sent on August 26 by Gaurav Kumar Bansal, wildlife activist and Supreme Court advocate, in which he urged the CZA and National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA) to withdraw their “approval” for the establishment of the tiger safari in Gujjar Sot, Pakhrau Block, Sonanadi Range, Kalagarh Division in the tiger reserve.
In his notice, Bansal alleged that the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change had recommended the proposal only after written assurance from Uttarakhand forest officials that only 163 will be felled to set up the tiger safari.
“However, on contrary of its undertaking, forest department officials have uprooted nearly 10,000 trees in the area,” he said.
However, CTR director Rahul (who goes by his first name) on Sunday dismissed the charges.
“Prima facie there are no irregularities in the construction of the tiger safari. We have all the required permission. But still, I have sought a status report from DFO Kalagarh in the matter. This tiger safari project was conceived during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Corbett in February 2019,” he said.
In her September 17 letter to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden, Uttarakhand, Sonali Gosh, deputy inspector general of forests at CZA, asked the officials to verify the claims and submit their response for necessary action.
When contacted, PCCF Rajiv Bhartari said he had directed PPCF (wildlife) J S Suhag to submit a status report on the allegations.
The proposal to seek approval of the Centre under Section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for non-forestry use of 106.16 hectare of forest land Compartment No. 3 and 8 of Kalagarh Tiger Reserve Division of Pakhrau Range, Pakhrau Block of Pauri Garhwal district for the establishment of Tiger Safari was discussed in a meeting on September 21, 2020.
The FAC recommended the proposal on certain terms that all conditions in the statutory approvals obtained from NTCA and CZA would be complied and the state government would ensure the infrastructure of the tiger safari is created mainly from bamboo and other natural materials.