DEHRADUN: To facilitate the expansion of Doon's Jolly Grant Airport, the Uttarakhand Forest Department has decided to leave 215 acres of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve, one of the major elephant reserves in the country. The move will not only mean more shrinkage in the area for elephant movement, but also harvesting around 10,000 trees.
The TOI has specifically described the proposed transfer of land, showing that a total of 9,745 trees (including 25 other species of trees including Khair (3405), Sheesham (2135), Sagan (185) and Gulmohar (120) Which of them is proposed to be cut so as to facilitate the working at the airport.
Conservationists say that the "Doon is going to be devastating to the fragile ecosystem of the valley" as the forest is home to not only elephants but also leopards, chital, sambar and many other wild species.
Apart from this, the proposed area for the development of the airport falls within the radius of 10 km of Rajaji National Park Eco Sensitive Zone and the notified elephant corridors are also located within just 3 km radius of the proposed area. The proposal letter reached by TOI states that in the region, "there is regular movement of wild animals, especially elephants, which can affect human-animal conflicts as well as wild animals."
Gauri Moulekhary, member secretary of the Uttarakhand Chapter, an NGO called People for Animals, reacted sharply against the move, stating, “Forests and wildlife are unique sales propositions for tourism and employment in Uttarakhand. It should be a sacred duty of the government to preserve it but it is very unfortunate that they are doing the opposite. The loss of 215 acres of land in the Shivalik Elephant Reserve would begin a vicious cycle that would end in doom for the state. Habitat loss will mean more forest damage and human-wildlife conflicts.
He adds that "the rapidly shrinking corridors from Razzaji to Corbett were a blow to the traditional movement of elephants anyway". “The hypocrisy on the ground is hypocritical and sinister. Now a total loss of 215 acres would only be a death blow to the species, already reeling under the adverse effects of inbreeding due to the loss of corridors. With forests and wildlife to go, one piece at a time, and consequently shrinking tourism, who would ever need large airports? "
Meanwhile, Dehradun's DFO Rajeev Dhiman told TOI that approval for the proposal was given at the state wildlife board meeting and a wildlife mitigation plan has also been submitted to the chief wildlife warden for approval. "Currently, the proposal is with the central government for approval," he said.
The move to transfer forest land for the development of the airport comes immediately after the Doon Valley, which is on the verge of losing 2500 British-era saline trees to facilitate a 4-kilometer-long section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, Previously reported by TOI. It also comes in the wake of the increasing man-elephant conflict due to space shrinkage for elephant movement.
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