Latest news with #SCNBWL
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Assam Govt orders closure of 28 stone quarries, 18 crushers near Kaziranga
1 2 Guwahati: The state govt has ordered the closure of 28 stone quarries and 18 stone crushers in the Dolamara area near Kaziranga National Park, adhering to a Supreme Court mandate prohibiting mining activities. Furthermore, 10 mining permits and related operations, including stone extraction, sand mahals, and sand-cum-gravel mining contracts in the Rangsali area, have been terminated. This was confirmed by minister of state for environment, forest and climate change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to inquiries from Assam MP and deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi. In "TN Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs Union of India & Ors" case, the Supreme Court in its order on April 12, 2019 had directed the Assam DGP and the SP concerned to ensure that no illegal mining and transportation of illegally mined materials took place in the Kaziranga National Park area and in the entire catchment area of rivers or streams and rivulets originating in Karbi Anglong Hill ranges and flowing into Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. The minister further stated in the Lok Sabha that the govt has taken significant steps to mitigate the risk of road accidents involving wild animals and ecological degradation around Kaziranga. These steps include the construction of underpasses, elevated corridors, and culverts to facilitate the safe passage of animals across highways. The steps, as the minister stated, also include the identification and protection of wildlife corridors to maintain habitat connectivity and minimise the need for animals to cross roads. This is in addition to the installation of eco-friendly barriers and fencing along roads to guide animals toward designated safe crossing points. Implementation of speed-reducing measures such as rumble strips and speed breakers near wildlife crossing zones and putting up cautionary signboards to alert drivers about wildlife presence and enforce speed regulations are other steps taken by the govt. On the issue of the diversion of eco-sensitive land near Kaziranga for commercial or infrastructure projects despite its Unesco world heritage status, the minister said proposals were submitted by the state govt for consideration of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life (SCNBWL) after due recommendation of the State Board for Wild Life. Two proposals for diversion — construction of a four-lane tunnel across the Brahmaputra between Gohpur and Numaligarh and widening and improvement of the existing carriageway to four-lane construction from Kaliabor to Numaligarh — were recommended by the SCNBWL.
Hindustan Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife takes key infra decisions
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL) headed by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has taken decisions on key infrastructure projects in and around wildlife reserves as per the agenda of its meeting held on June 26. The minutes of the meeting are yet to be published. Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife takes key infra decisions The committee considered a proposal for the use of 310 ha of forest land from core zone of Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh for upgrading a stretch of Arunachal Frontier Highway (NH-913), the agenda available on the environment ministry's Parivesh portal stated, adding that 248.79 ha of land will be required for 'intermediate laning' and 61.21 ha for disposal of muck. 'As part of the development of national highways, ministry of road, transport and highways (MoRT&H) has decided for improvement/upgradation (intermediate laning) of Arunachal Frontier Highway (NH-913) from NH-215 (near Kharsang) to Miao – Gandhigram - Vijaynagar road (package – 9) is keeping in view of the only one connectivity from capital of Arunachal Pradesh/ rest of Arunachal Pradesh to Vijaynagar. The existing length of the project road is 156.095 Km and connects the Miao to Vijaynagar (bordered by Myanmar). The construction of the road will also ensure development of the whole villages alongside the road. The Namdapha National Park/Tiger Reserve division wildlife land required to be diverted for construction of 'intermediate laning' is 248.79 hectares and for disposal of muck is 61.21 hectares, thus the total area of wildlife land required to be diverted is 310 hectares,' the agenda states. Namdapha Tiger Reserve has a rich biodiversity and is home to tigers, elephants, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan sun bear, hoolock gibbon , slow loris among others. The committee is likely to decide on another proposal for the use of 38.6 ha non-forest land from buffer zone of Orang Tiger Reserve in Assam for the construction of a two-lane road with paved shoulder from Basnaghat (Morigaon) to Burigaon (Kharupetia) and a new two-lane bridge over river Brahmaputra river in Darrang district of the state. SCNBWL also considered a proposal for use of 4.5465 ha of land from core zone of Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand for the development of ropeway from Triveni Ghat to Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir being built by Uttarakhand Metro Rail Urban Infra and Building Construction Corporation Limited. Additionally, the committee discussed an agenda on monitoring the implementation of terms and conditions for the major infrastructure project proposals approved by SCNBWL in the last five to six years. 'This issue was discussed several times in the meeting of the Standing Committee, but how many proposals have been monitored to date is not known to its members. There is a need to monitor some of the major projects such as mining, industries, and linear not monitored despite repeated discussion, it may reflect non-seriousness towards the issues of wildlife conservation. First action should be to get a certificate from the Chief Wildlife Wardens of the states in a prescribed proforma because they are the responsible authority as per the provisions in the Act,' the agenda states.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Wildlife panel clears Rajaji buffer land diversion for Kotdwar bypass project
Dehradun: The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife approved the diversion of 1.1 hectare of forest land from the buffer zones of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and Shivalik Elephant Reserve for the 4-laning of the Kotdwar bypass under Bharatmala Pariyojna, during a meeting in March, with minutes released recently. The land will be used to connect the Najibabad-Kotdwar road to the Kotdwar-Pauri road. Rajaji Tiger Reserve is a critical habitat for tigers, leopards, elephants and other wildlife species, while the Shivalik Elephant Reserve plays a key role in elephant conservation in the country. Environmentalists have often raised concerns about infrastructure projects cutting across this landscape, citing risks of habitat fragmentation and disruption to wildlife corridors. The Kotdwar bypass is part of Bharatmala Pariyojna, a national programme aimed at improving road connectivity across India. During its 80th meeting, the SCNBWL had formed a committee comprising experts from the ministry of forest, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Wildlife Institute of India, state forest department, and the user agency (ministry of road transport and highways). The committee carried out the site appraisal and examined the animal passage plan linked to the project. In the 81st meeting, the committee deferred the proposal to allow a comprehensive review with all stakeholders on road projects in the Rajaji-Corbett landscape before taking final stand on the matter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10 Mysterious Photos That Cannot Be Explained True Edition Undo Following an analysis by the committee and expert reviews, the SCNBWL cleared the project in March with ten conditions. The minutes accessed by TOI said, "The User Agency shall comply with all the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and all other Acts, Rules, Regulations, Guidelines, honourable Court Orders, and honourable NGT orders pertaining to this project, if any, for the time being in force, as applicable to the project." One of the conditions stated that forest land shall not be used for any purpose other than specified in the proposal. The User Agency and the chief wildlife warden would be responsible for submitting an annual compliance certificate. Regular monitoring and checks for any violations of guidelines or the Act would be overseen by the divisional forest officer or director. Setting up labour camps within the buffer zone has been prohibited. "All the recommendations of the site inspection committee shall be adhered to by the User Agency. While compensating for the buildings and trees, the state govt may process the claim in the proposal submitted under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980," the minutes further said. The minutes added that the legal status of the diverted forest land would remain unchanged, and only the minimum identified trees would be cut following standard practices. Both the Uttarakhand high court and Supreme Court have in recent years stressed the importance of careful environmental assessments before allowing road expansions in sensitive ecological zones like Rajaji and Shivalik.
