August 11,2018:

On Friday, National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to take cognisance of the deaths of Wild Animals along the Bareilly-Haridwar National Highway due to the vehicular traffic.

Principal Bench headed by NGT Chairman Justice AK Goel was hearing a PIL filed by Advocate Gaurav K Bansal.

Bench directed Central Government to take measures.

Report of the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was also attached with PIL that highlighted How buzzing traffic killed 222 wild animals of various taxa in 2016-17 within 30 km patch on NH 74 in Haridwar Forest Division.

“Besides the listed road kills by WII, in past 10 years, 27 leopards, a tiger, a black bear and various other wild species were found dead on the after getting hit by a speedy vehicle on the highway,” Bansal submitted.

Wild animals of 37 species were recorded to have died on the road during the study period. Mammals constitute 56.95%, birds 25.56% and amphibians 13.9%.

PIL also stated that the Institute had recommended construction of flyovers at three spots (Chandani bridge-Tedi Puliya, Peeli River to Rawasan River and Gendikhatta to Chidiapur) that falls within 5 km patch on the road-most sensitive to wildlife mortalities.

The 30 km section of the NH-74 runs between Chidiapur and Chandibridge and passes through three ranges-Chidiapur, Rasiabad and Shyampur of Haridwar forest division. Shyampur falls in the buffer of Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand HC on Friday directed Ministry of Railways to construct underpasses in the identified elephant corridors and ensure train speed of 25km/hr while passing through the forest areas.

HC Bench comprising of Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Lok Pal Singh directed that union railway ministry and union road transport ministry be made parties in the case.

HC directed that Authorities concerned should ensure satellite monitoring of elephant corridors, especially near the railway tracks so that the pachyderms do not get killed by speedy trains. The court also asked for an animal tracking system in place.

Source HT

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