Preserve wildlife Activists file objections over exclusion to the environment ministry
Environmentalists are not only up in arms against the draft notification released early this month that have excluded the forest areas of Dodamarg-Sawantwadi from the Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA), but have already started sending their objections to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEF&CC).
Sumaira Abdulali — activist and convenor of the Awaaz Foundation — who had filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court, seeking declaration of the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Wildlife Corridor as an ESA said that she has sent her suggestions and objections to the MOEF&CC on October 27.
"We object to the villages of Dodamarg being left out in spite of its acknowledged bio-diversity, thus breaking the wildlife corridor and restricting movement of animals and despite the direction of the Bombay High Court to declare the entire corridor as an ESA," she said.
Meanwhile Director, Environment for NGO Vanashakti, Stalin D who has also petitioned in HC and has been fighting to save this important wildlife corridor said that Vanashakti was surveying all the villages in the corridor and will soon formulate an action plan against the notification. "There is massive deforestation taking place in Dodamarg despite it being declared as an ESA by the Bombay High Court. This is only because the State is dragging the matter," he said, adding that once declared an ESA, the area is not only protected but no permissions related to felling of trees, setting up of industries or quarrying or mines can be given. Implementation of the high court's order is important so that the corridor used by tigers and other wild animals can remain unviolated.
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil said that it was sad that sentiments of the locals and the rich biodiversity of this corridor were being ignored. "Notifications are being issued one after the other but, the state is not following a democratic process. The want of 25 villages to be declared as ESA was not taken into consideration and this will only benefit the mining interests of those, who have been hungry to violate the western ghats," he said.
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