JAIPUR: Despite an order from the Central Empowered Committee earlier in the year banning all construction work at the Ranthambore tiger reserve, a huge canal is being dug threatening to affect its ecological balance.
As environmentalists raised questions over the construction, the state government sprang into action on Saturday. The forest officials said the project has been temporarily stayed with an intervention from chief secretary S Ahmed.
Sources at the park said a100-feet wide and 5-7 km long canal is being dug between Khushalidarra and Mansarovar lake.
"The new canal has stopped the flow of water to Khushalidarra nullah and diverted it to Mansarovar," said conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of the Tiger Watch.
Over the past 20 days, nearly 20,000 Dhonk trees spread across at least five kms have been uprooted. The canal, Khandal said, will also destroy one of the most important tiger corridors between Ranthambore National Park and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary.
Khandal has written to the CEC and the state government to take action in this regard.
CEC, in March, in response to a letter by conservationist Belinda Wright, had stopped all construction work at the sanctuary. Wright had complained about construction of some dams and anicuts in the sanctuary.
When contacted, officials of the state forest department expressed shock at the ongoing construction work in the reserve. Sources from the department however, revealed that the project is undertaken by the irrigation department.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Despite-ban-construction-of-canal-on-at-Ranthambore/articleshow/8327040.cms
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