NTCA asks forest department to submit factual report over failure to stop illegal projects in KTR

Recently, a mud road has been upgraded to a concrete one in Phansoli Wildlife Area in the core tiger zone of KTR. A local villager on condition of anonymity shared pictures of a concrete road inside the reserve with the media. “Although there are central and state government laws which prohibit the upgradation of roads inside wildlife reserves, national parks and tiger project areas, a mud road has been upgraded to a concrete road at Avurli village under Phansoli Wildlife Area in the Core Tiger Zone of Kali Tiger Forest. Earlier, this road was a mud road passing through Forest Survey Numbers 24 and 28 of the Avurli village,” he said.

The villagers also said that although the violations have continued to take place unabated, the NTCA has confined itself to seeking factual reports. “Hence, it is requested to order a probe on how the forest department allowed conversion of Avurli mud road to cement road without permission. For several years, illegal works have been reported from KTP but the NTCA failed to take action,” said another villager.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Deputy Conservator of Forest, KTR, Maria Christu Raja D, said, “The alleged road is not a mud road. It is a black topped road that was tarred in the year 2009 as is evident from the available records. The road is 1.6 km long and 2.5-3 metre wide. It runs through the Avurli hamlet which is a large habitation within KTR with more than 50 acre of private land.”

Raja added, “Both sides of the road are mostly bordered by houses and private lands. Maintenance and strengthening of existing roads without increasing the width are allowed activities under the standing committee of the national board for wildlife guidelines. The road work alleged to be illegal is an allowed activity and permitted in compliance with the existing legal provisions on maintenance and strengthening of roads in protected areas. This work does not require permission from the central government. The allegation is factually wrong and misleading.”

However, locals counter the forest department stating that no upgradation of roads are allowed in the protected areas. “The vigilance wing of the forest department, in its inquiry report, submitted in 2018-2019, had confirmed the illegal works taken up by the PWD. Moreover, it is important to verify how a tar road was allowed earlier within the core critical habitat which has now been upgraded to a concrete road since the upgradation is not allowed as per central government guidelines,” said one of the villagers.

He added, “We also wanted to know if the rights were settled under the Forest Rights Act.”

Local residents also questioned the failure of the NTCA stating it has not been acting on the illegal works in the reserve like construction of orchidarium, illegal electrification works and construction of a hanging bridge.

While looking into the allegations of the illegal works in the KTR, the vigilance wing of the forest department in 2019 had found that PWD officials had executed more than 10 linear projects, including widening of roads, without the permission of relevant authorities.

In 2017, more than 300 electric poles were erected in Kamargaon village which comes under Anshi Wildlife Range of KTR. A few years ago, a hanging bridge was also constructed across Kali river near Shivpur without the approval of the authorities.