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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Nod to Kanha-Pench rail project draws flak from wildlife experts
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Nod to Kanha-Pench rail project draws flak from wildlife experts

The proposed rail line will cut through a tiger and wildlife corridor linking the two reserves

On 20 January, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) released its all-India tiger estimation for 2014, putting the total number of tigers at 2,226, up 30% since 2010. Photo: AFPPremium
On 20 January, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) released its all-India tiger estimation for 2014, putting the total number of tigers at 2,226, up 30% since 2010. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Less than a month before it announced a surprise jump in tiger numbers in India in January, the environment ministry has given its approval to a railway project connecting the important Kanha and Pench tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh, angering wildlife enthusiasts and experts.

If endorsed by the minister, the proposed rail line—turned down twice before—will cut through a tiger and wildlife corridor linking the two reserves. Protecting such forested corridors, through which tigers move about between reserves, is thought to be vital to tiger conservation.

The approval by the forest advisory committee (FAC) of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) was given on 22 December.

The project aims to convert the existing narrow gauge to broad gauge rail line, which would lead to an increase in railway traffic. Fears that the project will disturb and damage the corridor had led to the plan being rejected in 2010 and 2013.

On 20 January, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) released its all-India tiger estimation for 2014, putting the total number of tigers at 2,226, up 30% since 2010.

During the release of this report, minister of environment and forests Prakash Javadekar and NTCA officials had spoken in favour of creating more tiger reserves.

NTCA chief Rajesh Gopal had also spoken of the need to preserve tiger corridors for the long-term survival of the big cat.

In 2010, the Madhya Pradesh government had sought the diversion of around 76 hectares (ha) of forest land in Balaghat district for south-east central railway for gauge conversion in the Gondia-Jabalpur stretch.

When the project first came to MoEF, FAC set up a panel including NTCA’s Gopal, since the forest land that was required to be diverted was an important wildlife habitat and located in the Kanha-Pench corridor.

The panel in its report noted the project cuts across intervening parts of forests located within the Kanha-Pench corridor, which is an important tiger and wildlife corridor in central India.

It said the corridor in itself is fragmented and that the rail line will further compound the problem.

In August 2013, FAC rejected the proposal for a second time, for the same reasons.

The report said the project will result in an increase in train traffic and that there have been numerous rail accidents, killing protected wild animals like tigers and elephants.

A case is already on at the Supreme Court regarding elephant deaths in trains accidents in West Bengal and Odisha.

However, the project came up before FAC yet again for reconsideration in December 2014.

Once again, FAC sought NTCA’s help, which carried out a joint inspection with railway authorities.

In their note on the inspection, NTCA said the project cuts across the vital corridor and that the corridor is “essential for the long-term survival of the tiger as it permits gene flow in a meta- population framework in central Indian landscape".

“The corridor is already disturbed due to NH7 (national highway 7) and other state highways. The proposed gauge conversion entails severing of this corridor in three parts," NTCA added.

However, this time, FAC, after noting concerns regarding the corridor, recommended forest clearance for the proposal but laid down several precautionary measures like restriction of speed limit in sensitive sections, a cap on train density during hours of peak animal activity, round-the-clock electronic surveillance and removal of waste along railway tracks.

Wildlife experts are not convinced.

“Such conditions do not make any difference. Once you allow widening of railway track, no one listens to you. Conditions have been put in the past, but based on past experience, railway has never followed it. In addition, the Madhya Pradesh government has already built a highway along the rail track which is very dangerous for wildlife," former director of Project Tiger P.K. Sen said.

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Published: 27 Jan 2015, 12:28 AM IST
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