Submergence threat to Palamu Tiger Reserve

TNN | Jan 13, 2012, 05.48AM IST Another development project, though long in the pipeline, is set to take its toll on a tiger habitat. The upcoming North Koel irrigation project has been assessed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as potentially harmful for Jharkhand's Palamu Tiger Reserve. NTCA maintained that nearly 119 sq km of forest area is likely to be submerged if the project gets a go-ahead and the gates of the dam are allowed to be closed. "The report, finalized last month, was put up on public domain a couple of days ago. A substantial portion of the core area in the tiger reserve, approximately 360 hectares, is facing the threat of submergence. This is about 11.5% of the total area," said S P Yadav, deputy inspector general of NTCA, a body under the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). It may be noted that the total area of PTR is 1,026 sq km, of which 414 sq km is the core area. A committee, constituted by NTCA, visited the site May last year and spoke to the villagers of Latu and Kujrum, inside the core area, before preparing the final report. One of the members of the panel, P K Sen, said the project is not possible since a huge area of the forest land will be under threat. Conceptualized in 1972, the initial project cost was fixed at Rs 35 crore. But it started facing hurdles after Jharkhand was formed. While Jharkhand never wanted the dam fearing the loss of forest cover, Bihar kept pushing it. The project is expected to benefit roughly 1,11,800 hectares of agricultural land in Aurangabad and Gaya districts in Bihar, which would justify an expenditure of Rs 750 crore on the project. "Though there are reports that a section of the people are trying to revive the project, it has to be held up to save the forests," said Sen, also the ex-director of Project Tiger and PTR. According to the report, the area under threat is the prime tiger habitat and it is rich in wildlife and biodiversity. "These forests are the breeding grounds of Schedule I animals like tigers, leopards and elephants. Due to submergence, traditional migratory routes of elephants will also be blocked," it added. According to Yadav, apart from wildlife, 17 villages will also be submerged if the dam gates are closed. "If these people are not resettled taking into consideration the instant policy and Forest Rights Act, they might encroach upon the forest areas of the reserve," he added. According to section 38 V (4) (i) of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, critical tiger habitats have to be maintained as inviolate for tiger conservation. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Submergence-threat-to-Palamu-Tiger-Reserve/articleshow/11469970.cms