PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday demanded that the plan drawn up by State government to reduce the buffer zone of Vedanthangal bird sanctuary by 40% for building a pharmaceutical company should be cancelled.
In a statement, Dr. Ramadoss said that it was worrying to note that State Board for Wildlife had forwarded a proposal to National Board for Wildlife to reduce the buffer area of Vedanthangal bird sanctuary from 5 sq.km to 3 sq.km for the expansion of a pharmaceutical company.
“Vedanthangal is not just visited by birds from all over the world. Tourists from all over Tamil Nadu and India also visit the bird sanctuary. Many schools and colleges take their students to Vedanthangal for educational trips,” said Dr. Ramadoss.
He further said that birds too depended on the trees around the sanctuary.
“Expansion would mean that factories and people will cut down trees. Over time, birds would stop coming,” said he said.
While the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate says that 10 sq.km around bird sanctuaries as ‘eco sensitive areas’, this has not been done in majority of bird sanctuaries
“If we reduce the habitat of birds and other wildlife for pharma companies, it may lead to outbreaks of new diseases such as COVID-19. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister should intervene in this issue and take back the proposal forwarded to National Board for Wildlife,” he said.