MoEF objects to Mulayam’s lion safari project in Etawah

In a letter to the Principal Secretary (Forests) on July 1,the MoEF said the state government was going ahead with the project illegally,as no permission under the Forest Conservation Act had been taken from MoEF for using any forest land for the purpose of the proposed lion safari. A copy of the letter was also sent to the Chief Secretary.

The MoEF has treated the lion safari as a tourism project with a commercial angle. Taking up any non-forest activity,including raising of permanent structures,amounts to violation of the provision of the Forest Act 1980. Further,the working plan of the Etawah forest division for the period 2005-06 to 2015-16 has already been approved by the Government of India. Also,the Fisher forest block,where the lion safari is proposed,is a reserved forest area,the letter points out.

The ministry has reportedly taken a strong note of the reports of felling of a large number of trees and the ground being levelled for the lion safari. The state Forest Department is removing prosopis juliflora (vilayti babool) while its felling cycle is fixed for 20 years. No felling is proposed in the area as per the approved working plan of Etawah Forest Division. Any change is working plan prescription requires prior approval from the central government under the Forest Conservation Act,the letter says.

Time that the lion safari in Etawah,which is close to Mulayam’s heart,has run into roadblocks. He had first come up with the idea in 2005 when he was Chief Minister. A total of 150.83 hectares of forest land in Fisher Forest was to be used for the project. The state government had then approached the MoEF with a plea that the project will help in tourism activity and generate incomes for the local people.

However,the MoEF had turned it down,with directions that the proposal could be considered only after the consent of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The consent never came,the SP lost power in the 2007 assembly election and the BSP government never showed interest in it.

After Akhilesh Yadav assumed charge as CM in March,the lion safari project was revived. Akhliesh himself is the Forest Minister and Rs 5 crore has been allocated for the project. Work has started on felling the existing trees,changing the landscape and undertaking fresh plantation.