NAGPUR: The meeting called on Monday to discuss the closure of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) during the rainy season seems to have ended up without any final decision being taken by the chief wildlife warden S K Khetarpal. Repeated attempts to contact Khetarpal proved futile.
However, it is learnt that Tadoba would not remain completely closed. The PCCF (wildlife) seems to have made up his mind to keep the 15-km tar road patch from Moharli to Tadoba open for tourists.
Field director VK Sinha has been asked to provide data of vehicles of private and tour operators to know whether stakeholders stand to lose anything. He will be submitting the carrying capacity in this patch and only that many vehicles will then be allowed.
It could not be ascertained if vehicles from other Kolara and Kolsa gates would be allowed.
Forest, NHAI officials to visit site again: The talks between the wildlife wing officials and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday came to naught with no solution on saving the tiger corridor between Navegaon and Nagzira due to four-laning.
While forest officials stuck to their demand of constructing open span bridges (flyovers) in five vulnerable patches on NH6, the NHAI consultant and retired chief wildlife warden RN Indurkar was firm that the design suggested by him for underpasses for wildlife was suitable.
Khetarpal is learnt to have asked forest officials to make another site visit to the vulnerable patches and submit a report. Accordingly, a team will now visit the spots on June 30. Based on its report, Khetarpal will send his comments to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Monday's meeting was attended by additional PCCFs AK Saxena, Nand Kishore, NHAI project director Naresh Wadetwar, chief conservator (CCF) for Nagpur Circle C R Gajbhiye and deputy conservator (DyCF) Mukesh Ganatra, ACF Kishore Mishrikotkar and Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager of WTI.
The patches where flyovers or underpasses need to be constructed constitute most important corridor vital for the movement of wild animals. "It is back to square one now as the process will be started from zero. The mitigation measures (culvert boxes) proposed by the NHAI do not at all satisfy the needs of the wild animals," said Bhamburkar.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tadoba-to-remain-closed-partially/articleshow/8930910.cms
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