In a move that is a potential hazard to protected wildlife in Uttarakhand, the state government has given a nod to construct a 4.7 kilometre long road connecting? the Corbett and the Rajaji tiger reserve.
The road threatens the habitats of tigers and elephants in the country.
The project had been blocked since 2019 but has now received an approval of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL).
It was earlier stalled due to clearance issues and exemptions, as demanded by the state. However, as the best mitigation planning, an inspection team recommends 'avoiding' the project.
According to a release by the CMO, two points in the forest patch- Laldhang and Chilarkhal will be connected by the entire road.
Environmentalists and activists are happy with the construction of road in the forest area.
They fear that building a road may disrupt wildlife habitat along with migration routes. The rise in traffic will also create disturbance for tigers, elephants, deer, and others in these forests.
¡°The grasslands from the Himalayan foothills, the Terai delta, that extend from Corbett to Palamu in Jharkhand and beyond to Assam are the productive habitat for tigers and large ungulates in all of Asia. Tiger populations reach their highest densities in these rich habitats, especially like Corbett and Kaziranga,¡± tiger conservationist K Ullas Karanth told The Times of India.?