The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has formed an expert committee to find out if natural vegetation was removed to plant exotic trees, and also to find out about the presence of invasive species in Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur Zoo) and ascertain its impact on forest ecology and bio-diversity.
The bench of Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta, last week, directed a committee -- of a senior officer from the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a senior officer nominated by the Chief Wildlife Warden not below the rank of the Chief Conservator of Forest, the Director of Arignar Anna Zoological Park and a Botanist or Taxonomist from Anna University, Chennai to inspect the area in question and submit a factual report within a month.
The committee would study the impact of such exotic plantation on forest, wildlife and bio-diversity of the area and “if any damage has been caused, what are the remedial measures to be taken to restore the same including assessing the environmental compensation, if any required”. The committee should also consider whether executing the present project by the park management was in violation of the Wildlife Management Plan in that area.
A petitioner had asked the NGT to direct the park authorities to remove all the exotic trees that have been planted in the Vandalur zoo and replace them with native species of trees. He also sought the removal of other invasive species like Posopis Julifera, Guazama ulmifolla and Lamtana camera from the zoo campus.
The petitioner asked that the government frame a Standard Operating procedure for tree planting/compensatory afforestation, including a list of native trees to be planted depending on the geographical area and environmental limitations and procedure for care and maintenance of the saplings.