Rajasthan high court stays construction of road inside proposed Kumbhalgarh reserve | Jaipur News
The forest department was constructing a road between Vanpath Gomthara and Goram Mandir in the sanctuary using funds provided by the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT).
“Till next date of hearing, construction activities inside the proposed tiger reserve and wildlife sanctuary shall remain stayed,” the court order said.
After the construction work was proposed, a PIL was filed by wildlife conservationist and lawyer Rituraj Singh.
The petitioner had alleged that the project was being undertaken by the forest department due to the political clout of the sitting MLA who had promised such a path to the temple to the voters of his constituency. “Pathways leading to religious sites inside the forest are a real cause of concern. In one such incident, which happened at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, a leopard was hit by devotees on a bike going to Trinetra Ganesh Ji Temple situated inside the reserve”
At present, there is no motorable connectivity and thousands of devotees flock to the temple at specific intervals.
To reach the temple, devotees have to take a metre gauge rail from Marwar Junction, which passes through the jungle, and get down at Goram Ghat station. “From that point, devotees have to walk all the way to the temple on foot. The project will make the path leading to the temple motorable and, thereby, let more devotees enter the forest and go to the temple in vehicles,” Singh said.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already written to the director Wildlife Institute Of India, Dehradun, to conduct a rapid survey of Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary for exploring the feasibility of declaring it a tiger reserve.
According to the draft, the name of the area is proposed to be Kumbhalgarh Tiger Reserve which will constitute Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Todgarh-Raoli Wildlife Sanctuary and adjoining forest areas.
