The Uttarakhand government's proposed Kandi road project would jeopardise big cat population in Jim Corbett reserve, the Centre and India's apex tiger and wildlife protection bodies have told the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The reserve has one of the few viable tiger populations in the country, the Union Environment Ministry, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) have said in an affidavit.
The joint affidavit, filed by NTCA on behalf of all three parties, comes as a blow to Trivendra Singh Rawat's government that has aggressively pushed the project.
The proposed project, connecting Ramnagar and Kotdwar, will pass through the core area of the reserve to cut the distance between Garhwal and Kumaon by 80 km.
NGT had sought their response on a plea by advocate Gaurav Bansal who has challenged the project, raising concerns of damage to the reserve.
The affidavit says that the critical habitat, notified in 2010, is one of the most important source areas for tigers in the Terai region.
The source tiger population from Corbett uses the corridors across the landscape, migrating into Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh.
As per the 2014 All-India Tiger estimation, there were up to 485 tigers in the Shivalik-Gangetic plains landscape ranging from Uttarakhand to Bihar. Uttarakhand has 340 tigers, while Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have 117 and 28 tigers, respectively.
Since the project passes through the core part of Corbett, it will also not be suitable to recommend mitigation infrastructure, as it is useful only for roads that pass through connecting landscapes, NTCA has said. Mitigating infrastructure refers to overpasses or underpasses that help wildlife cross highways, railways or canals.
NTCA has also pointed out that the Wildlife Protection Act mandates that core or critical habitat areas of national parks and sanctuaries should be kept free of human disturbances. Prima Facie, NTCA said, the Act, has not been followed.
The affidavit also comes against the backdrop of questions of conflict of interest and contempt of court raised against the Wildlife Institute of India, an autonomous institute under the environment ministry, for carrying out a feasibility report on the project.
WII has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd. The MoU included a clause that said WII will facilitate permissions for the project. This prompted NTCA to ask how this was not contempt of court as the Supreme Court had struck down the alignment through Corbett.
After it faced criticism, WII dropped the contentious clause and now will only carry out a feasibility report.
GREEN MINISTRY, NTCA & NBWL INFORM NGT
They have said the Wildlife Protection Act that mandates that core or critical habitat areas of national parks and sanctuaries should be kept free of human disturbances has not been followed
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Tiger")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}