{"id":3115,"date":"2018-08-18T06:18:04","date_gmt":"2018-08-18T06:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wakilsahab.in\/news\/?p=3115"},"modified":"2018-08-18T06:18:04","modified_gmt":"2018-08-18T06:18:04","slug":"supreme-court-said-no-to-highway-in-jim-corbett-but-moef-institute-agrees-to-help-clear-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wakilsahab.in\/news\/supreme-court-said-no-to-highway-in-jim-corbett-but-moef-institute-agrees-to-help-clear-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court said no to highway in Jim Corbett but MoEF institute agrees to help clear it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Source –\u00a0indianexpress.com<\/p>\n

Raising questions of propriety and conflict of interest, the Union Environment Ministry\u2019s premier research centre Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCC) to \u201chelp and facilitate\u2026in obtaining necessary approvals\u201d under wildlife and forest laws for a 50-km highway cutting through the core of the Corbett tiger reserve.<\/p>\n

This, when WII is part of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) which decides on proposals seeking wildlife clearance and provides technical expertise to the Ministry\u2019s Forest Advisory Committees that examine projects for forest clearance.<\/p>\n

Construction of this highway between Kotdwar and Ramnagar is on the priority list of the state government. A major part of this proposed highway runs through Corbett tiger reserve as a restricted and unpaved forest road. But if opened as a highway, it will cut travelling distance between Ramnagar in Kumaon and Kotdwar in Garhwal by 78 km but go right through one of India\u2019s most rich elephant and tiger habitats.<\/p>\n

The state government is pushing this despite the fact that in 2005, the Centre and the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh had agreed to an alternative route between Kotdwar and Ramnagar under the supervision of the Supreme Court (see map) to safeguard Corbett. However, work on that never took off.<\/p>\n

Contacted by The Indian Express, Siddhanta Das, director general (forests) and special secretary in the Environment ministry, said: \u201cI cannot comment on specific clauses as I have not seen the MoU. The institute (WII) signs various MoUs as an autonomous body. But if there is a conflict of interest, the ministry will certainly look into it.\u201d In the run-up to the 2017 Assembly polls, the state BJP threw its weight behind the demand for the route through Corbett. In his first press conference as chief minister in March 2017, Rawat listed the highway among his top priorities.<\/p>\n

The same month, state forest minister H S Rawat claimed he had written to and got assurance from Union Minister\u00a0Nitin Gadkari<\/a>\u00a0that the proposed road would become a national highway. In December 2017, Ecotourism Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (EDCUL) was selected as the nodal agency for the highway project which would include construction of a flyover to allow wildlife movement inside the tiger reserve.<\/p>\n

In March 2018, two MoUs \u2014 one between EDCUL and NBCC, and another between WII and NBCC \u2014 were signed. Both stipulate that WII will \u201chelp and facilitate. in obtaining necessary approvals\u201d and that the three parties will \u201ccollectively work\u201d towards that goal. India is party to the 2010 St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation, which commits to \u201cmaking critical tiger breeding habitats inviolate areas. where no economic or commercial infrastructure development or other adverse activities are permitted.\u201d<\/p>\n

In December 2014, the Environment ministry asked all states not to propose new roads through protected forests and consider proposals for upgrading existing roads with adequate mitigation measures irrespective of the cost, only where alternative alignments were not available. WII director V B Mathur, who signed the MoU with NBCC, denied any conflict on interest. \u201cWe were asked by the state government to do a feasibility survey. The modalities of that required a MoU. But it is wrong to suggest that the WII will give a favourable report or that we are going against the Supreme Court. We offer our scientific opinion. Based on that, it is for the governments and the court to decide on the project.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked why this new study of a route already rejected by the apex court, Mathur claimed that \u201ca lot has changed\u201d since 2005. \u201cToday\u2019s reality is different. Balancing conservation and development is a dynamic process and science has also evolved. So a reassessment is not a violation, and facilitator is not a bad word,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jai Raj, Uttarakhand\u2019s principal chief conservator of forests, said that the highway would be built as a \u201cgreen road\u201d as per the standard template prepared by WII. \u201cWe will follow WII\u2019s guidelines that the Ministry already accepted last year. But the institute will not have to get any clearances. When the MoU says \u2018facilitate\u2019, it means that technical queries during the clearance process will be answered by WII,\u201d he said. But experts questioned the WII\u2019s agreement to facilitate green clearances.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Board member, I can go on record only when the project comes to the Board for approval. But, in principle, I consider this very wrong. A reputation for objectivity and neutrality is important for the WII,\u201d said a non-government member of the NBWL on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unthinkable that a project that can kill Corbett will be reopened and that the WII will become a facilitator for getting clearances. Though autonomous, the institute comes under the ministry. So where are these decisions being taken? With what motive?\u201d asked PK Sen, who, as then director, Project Tiger, conducted a field survey and recommended against the road project back in 2001.<\/p>\n

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