Court panel inspects statue complex,says plant more trees

After the first EIA done by the Wildlife Institute of India slammed the cutting of trees,the district authorities commissioned two more reports to “balance out” the critical assessment.

The WII report said the cutting of trees,which acted as a buffer for the nearby Okhla Bird park (OBP),will affect the migratory bird population there. It added that the artificial lighting at the complex could confuse the 75 species of birds coming to the park annually. The report suggested that native trees be planted in the complex and blue-tinted lighting be used. It also said that 130 hectares of the Yamuna flood plain,north of the park,be nurtured for water birds.

Following the report submitted last week,the state government asked Dr S N Prasad of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) and Dr V Vasudeva Rao of the Aacharya NG Ranga Agricultural University for another assessment. Their report said there were no protected species in the 33 hectares in question and hence the park did not suffer much damage.

A third report by IIT-Delhi has recommended that the assessment was best prepared by an ornithologist as the OBP and its surrounding areas form one of the most important bird habitats in the National Capital Region.

Report vs Report
REPORT 1: WII says valuable carbon sequestration is being lost after the tree-felling in the area which was a buffer to the OBP. New saplings being planted here are exotic and will not help the ecosystem.

REPORT 2: The SACON report says the area did not have any protected species of either birds or flora and thus not much has been lost. Stone wall made for the statue complex will protect OBP from poaching,though it nowhere near the park.