Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the Deputy Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) has constituted a committee to formulate guidelines for regulating religious yatras in core area.
Moreover, the NGT has been told that an expert opinion has been sought from the Wildlife Institute of India. Advocate Prashant Harne represented the government in the matter.
In its bid to preserve fragile ecosystem of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, the NGT had earlier directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to set up a committee of experts to propose guidelines for managing activities like the "Darshan Yatra" in the core area of the reserve.
This decisive action follows concerns raised by petitioner Ajay Shankar Dubey, who highlighted the environmental risks posed by the yatra. The Shri Sadguru Kabir Dharmdas Sahab Vanshavali organises this yatra within the core area of Bandhavgarh National Park, a critical tiger habitat under India’s Project Tiger initiative.
Dubey contended that the yatra threatens the park’s delicate ecosystem, endangers its biodiversity and violates key environmental laws, including the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Agreeing with the petitioner’s concern, the NGT stated that the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, prohibits activities that harm wildlife or their habitats in protected areas like national parks. Similarly, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, mandates stringent scrutiny for non-forest activities in forest areas, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, empowers authorities to regulate and prevent activities that could degrade the environment. The tribunal said that the proposed yatra violated these provisions, necessitating immediate intervention to safeguard the reserve.
In response, the NGT directed the Principal Secretary, Department of Forest, Government of Madhya Pradesh, to review the letter dated October 18, 2022, from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, which sought to regulate such activities within the Tiger Reserve. The tribunal ordered formation of an expert committee to draft guidelines for safely managing religious yatras and similar activities in the ecologically sensitive areas of Bandhavgarh.
