Puruwala–Simbalbara road is lifeline for tribals, not feasible to relocate them: Forest dept to NGT

This comes after the NGT intervened into the expansion of the Puruwala–Simbalbara road and raised concerns about the project’s impact on the park’s rich biodiversity, including its population of Sambar deer and elephants, and the potential for forest degradation.

The applicant Sanjay Kumar of New Delhi argued in his application that the road is also being used for heavy vehicular traffic and degrading the ecology of the park, also known as Col. Sher Jung National Park.

In her reply, Preeti Bhandari, Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Circle (South), Shimla, said that the department noted that Pillodi, located inside the national park, has a population of 2,253 as per panchayat records. “Of them, about 90 per cent is ST, 3 per cent is SC and 5 per cent is OBC. The Puruwala-Simbalbara road is the only direct and reliable connectivity for Pillodi residents to Majra and Paonta Sahib, which are vital for accessing markets, education, healthcare, and employment. The suggested alternative route via Chhachhroli in Haryana is nearly 50 km long and often becomes inaccessible during certain months, making it unsuitable for regular community use,” mentioned the submission filed before the NGT on September 23.

It added that relocating 386 families would require a “huge chunk of land,” which the state government is unable to provide. With 68.16 per cent of Himachal Pradesh’s area under forest cover, the availability of non-forest government land for large-scale rehabilitation remains negligible, the department noted.

Responding to allegations in the complaint that heavy vehicles use the Puruwala–Simbalbara road and cause ecological harm, the Forest Department clarified that no unregulated vehicular movement occurs on the stretch. Of the road’s total length of 12 km, approximately 9 km is inside the national park, but traffic is restricted to local community use. “The road is a long-standing, low-impact rural connectivity route used exclusively by villagers. No commercial or industrial activity is conducted through it,” the submission mentioned.

The department also countered claims of ecological damage, stating that there is no conclusive evidence of serious adverse impact on the park’s biodiversity. On the contrary, sighting of tigers since 2023 and the frequent movement of elephants are indicators of a healthy and recovering ecosystem. “These positive wildlife recovery trends negate the presumption of serious disturbance caused by the road,” the department argued.

The department urged the tribunal to recognise that the road’s role is limited to subsistence-based connectivity and not commercial exploitation.