NAGPUR: Ahead of Monday's meeting to discuss mitigation measures for wildlife on National Highway 6 between Deori and Sakoli, Kishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL), has called for more scientific and technically advanced approach to deal with the road widening issue in view of tiger crisis.
In a letter to S K Khetarpal, PCCF (wildlife), Rithe said the issue was serious and needed to be resolved for ensuring tiger landscape connectivity in Central India. Looking at the corridor value of the patches between Sakoli and Deori which would be cut by widening work, on October 8, 2010, an expert committee had made certain recommendations.
However, NHAI seems to be underestimating the seriousness of the threat to wildlife, specially the tiger. Wildlife and NHAI officials will discuss the issue on Monday. Khetarpal has to send his comments to the NTCA on the NHAI report.
Rithe said large and wide-ranging carnivores faced huge threat and more constant declines than most other mammals. One of the reasons is linear intrusion like canals, roads and highways constructed without consideration of biological aspects.
Tiger scientist like Dr Alan Rabinowitz suggests GIS based models for identifying corridors and later designing site-specific plans to deal with the linear intrusion issues. "When National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) are working on such policies, states also need to take such issues more seriously. Hence, I really appreciate the efforts put by your office to ensure this," said Rithe.
In the US, the government departments have adopted an integrated approach to reduce the negative impact of projects on wildlife. "I expect that NHAI consultant should focus on target species in the area and using GIS and biological inputs, should produce more practical and site specific mitigation report," urged Rithe. "If it is not so, your office should not allow such project to come up," he demanded.
The Wildilife Trust of India (WTI) was first to raise the issue and has taken up the matter with the Supreme Court's centrally empowered committee (CEC). An affidavit filed by the Chhattisgarh government recently demanded construction of flyovers in the affected patch on their side.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Protect-wildlife-interest-in-NH6-widening/articleshow/8918216.cms
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