As National Highway 37 is getting widened to accommodate the rise in traffic, wildlife conservationists are asking the state authorities to notify the nine animal corridors that have been already identified. The National Highway Authority of India should construct underpasses (7 metres tall, 500 metres wide) at multiple places along the Kaziranga stretch of NH 37. However, what’s generally agreed on paper, or published in project reports seldom translates to reality. All mitigation projects to provide a safe passage to wildlife are watered down. The standard excuse given is cost-cutting. A recent example is in the reduced number of animal passages where NH 7 cuts through the Kanha-Pench animal corridor. The government watered down its own institutional report citing cost factor.
Last Tuesday, when Kaziranga went underwater, Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, was heard complaining in Parliament, saying a poor country like India must decide how far it can go in spending public money to protect the environment. The government is spending Rs 1,300 crore to build nine kilometres in Pench. This is public money, he said. It is up to lawmakers to decide whether it is correct or not. Ironically, the same Narendra Modi government did not hesitate to build a colossal statue (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s Statue Of Unity) with much fanfare costing over Rs 3,000 crore of public money.
Kaziranga’s other problems include the ever-expanding illegal stone quarries along the migratory path of wild animals in the Karbi-Anglong hills.
“The Government of Assam has taken no action to close down the illegal stone quarries operating in the Karbi-Anglong hills adjoining Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP) and within 10 km from the Park boundary. The state has shown no intent to implement the recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) dated April 20, 2018,” says Rohit Choudhury, a local RTI activist specialising on wildlife conservation issues. Choudhary has bagged several awards for his conservation work in the Kaziranga landscape.
Last year, NTCA authorities made a field visit in the adjoining area of KNP based on the complaint by Choudhary and had recommended the state government to ban on all kinds of mining activities in Kaziranga landscape taking into consideration the long-term conservation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Choudhury has been getting favourable orders towards the protection of the Kaziranga landscape from the Supreme Court and its Central Empowered Committee. In April, the Supreme Court banned all types of mining and related activities along the southern boundary of the KNP as well as in the catchment area of the rivers, streams and rivulets that originate in Karbi-Anglong Hill ranges and flow into KNP. The court order also mentions that no permission will be given for any kind of construction even in private lands that form part of the identified nine corridors. Further, the court directed the Director General of Police, Assam, to ensure that no mining activity takes place in the catchment area of Karbi-Anglong Hills ranges. The superintendent of police of the Karbi Anglong Hills District, Nagaon district and Golaghat district will be responsible to ensure that no transportation of illegally mined material from Karbi Anglong Hills takes place.
Taking cognisance of the Supreme Court order, the state chief secretary convened a meeting last month with senior forest officials to discuss the proposed eco-sensitive zone and animal corridors. A draft master plan is to be put up in the next two weeks.
However, the local politician-land mafia nexus has instigated a string of protests against the Supreme Court order as their land banks, resorts, and other business interests (read mining) fall inside animal corridors and the 10 km prescribed eco-sensitive zone.
And its seems the chief secretary has already relented to this political-land mafia pressure as he has stated (as per the minutes of the meeting, 27 June 2019), “…in areas of conflict the zero kilometre limitation should be delineated and a minimum of 300/400 metres should be spared where there may be already existent public utilities/ interest.”
Wildlife conservation NGOs have stayed away from this burning issue as it directly affects their existence in the landscape. While several death threats to Choudhary has compelled him to move out of his native place.