Move to rationalize Desert National Park boundary dropped
TNN|
Oct 17, 2017, 06.17 PM IST
JAIPUR: The Central Zonal Bench of the National Green Tribunal at Bhopal in an order of October 10 noted that the move to "rationalize" the boundary of the Desert National Park in Jaisalmer has been dropped.
This move was announced about two years ago when forest officials said changes in land use had led to a sharp decline in wildlife presence in some parts of the DNP. While some areas of DNP were to be declared as not covered by the park, the area of the Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was proposed to be included in the DNP.
"The final notification of the DNP is likely to be issued shortly," the NGT order said, adding that the Chief Wildlife Warden submitted that the objections and suggestions related to the DNP were settled by the district collector in 1997. The management plan for the park would soon be finalized.
NGT also took note of the fact that 150 of the 200 Great Indian Bustards in India were found in or around this park. The birds are found in an arc between Pokhran firing range and the northern portion of DNP, the order said.
"It has been informed that there are a large number of windmills which exist in this arc and there have been accidents where GIBs were found to have been killed because of transmission line running in these areas... It was made clear that the windmills cannot be allowed to be established in the areas where it can cause harm to GIBs which are critically endangered species," the order said.
NGT also took note of the burning of plastic waste from packaging material in which windmill parts are brought to the area. Vish Wind Infrastructure, which has been erecting windmills in the area, has been allowed to make its submission regarding proposed windmills in the area and their likely impact ahead of the next hearing on November 14.
This move was announced about two years ago when forest officials said changes in land use had led to a sharp decline in wildlife presence in some parts of the DNP. While some areas of DNP were to be declared as not covered by the park, the area of the Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was proposed to be included in the DNP.
"The final notification of the DNP is likely to be issued shortly," the NGT order said, adding that the Chief Wildlife Warden submitted that the objections and suggestions related to the DNP were settled by the district collector in 1997. The management plan for the park would soon be finalized.
NGT also took note of the fact that 150 of the 200 Great Indian Bustards in India were found in or around this park. The birds are found in an arc between Pokhran firing range and the northern portion of DNP, the order said.
"It has been informed that there are a large number of windmills which exist in this arc and there have been accidents where GIBs were found to have been killed because of transmission line running in these areas... It was made clear that the windmills cannot be allowed to be established in the areas where it can cause harm to GIBs which are critically endangered species," the order said.
NGT also took note of the burning of plastic waste from packaging material in which windmill parts are brought to the area. Vish Wind Infrastructure, which has been erecting windmills in the area, has been allowed to make its submission regarding proposed windmills in the area and their likely impact ahead of the next hearing on November 14.
(This article was originally published in The Times of India)
