The National Green Tribunal has ordered a stay on the construction of the flood protection wall along the Song river in the Motichur range of the Rajaji national park. The stay was ordered in an application filed by Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) against the violation of provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in construction of a wall in the Motichur Gohri corridor in Rajaji also in violation of orders and directions of the Supreme Court. Activists state that the construction of this wall will hamper elephant movement.
In its order on April 28, the principal bench of the NGT states, “The facts stated in the application revealed that by impugned order permission was granted to construct a wall by order dated February 5, 2014 by the Conservator of Forest/Director, Rajaji National Park. The wall permitted to be constructed would prima facie obstruct the elephant corridor along the Song river. In such circumstances, we admit the application and issue notice to the respondents. Prima facie, we find that construction of the wall will cause obstruction in the movement of wildlife along with the elephant corridor. In such circumstances, there would be an interim order directing the respondents to maintain status quo as on today till the next date of hearing on May 5.”
The application filed on behalf of SAFE by its president VK Tongad states that the area where construction is going on forms part of the Motichur Gohri elephant corridor. The respondents responsible for the construction have not obtained required forest clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest or State Government for non forest activity inside the forest area. The wall proposed to be constructed on the right bank of Song river which will be three metres in height and almost two km in length. The application cites reports published in newspapers including The Pioneer about wildlife activists warning that the wall would hamper movement of elephants and tigers. The application further states that the permission given by Rajaji director SP Subudhi to the Irrigation department for constructing the wall is illegal as it lacks approval from the State Government or Central Government for non forest use of forest land. Though this wall was being constructed to protect Gohri Mafi village from flooding, the construction was being undertaken in the wildlife corridor used mostly by elephants, tigers and other wildlife. The report titled ‘Gajah’ by Elephant Task Force, MoEF had identified Motichur Gohri as one of the elephant corridors listed in Priority II Elephant Corridors in Northern India. The management plan of Rajaji has also identified this corridor as an important one.
