Rajasthan
Road Repair Work: Guidelines Violated During Road Repair Work In R’bore | Jaipur News
Jaipur: The recent repair and maintenance work on the existing road network in the Ranthambore National Park (RNP) has not adhered to the guidelines of the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the approved Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP).
This oversight may lead to air pollution in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR).Furthermore, the work was carried out in violation of Supreme Court norms.
These issues were identified in the recent orders issued by the office of the chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and field director, RTR.
In Ranthambore, the administration undertook repair and maintenance work on roads, including the Kamaldhar to Gular area of Nalghati, Busi Baori to Futa Bandha, Range ROPT, and others.
Talking to TOI, Mohit Gupta, DFO of RNP, said, “The orders have been received and we are committed to follow the rules. The repair works will be carried out as per the instruction given to the CCF office.”
The order states that the work was executed in a detrimental manner to the wildlife habitat, involving haphazard mining near existing roads for murram, soil, stones, and widening the existing road width. This process included cutting and filling in sloped areas of the hillsides and dumping debris into nearby streams, accelerating soil erosion and potential landslides in tourism zones.
“The extraction of good soil near roads, grassland, and valley areas, using it on the roads without proper compaction, results in pulverized soil conditions. This, in turn, raises soil dust several meters high when vehicles use the roads, causing significant air pollution within the habitat,” the order emphasizes.
Sources, however, claimed, the RNP has road network of 750km, and it is not feasible to bring sand and stones in trolleys.
He said, “This will lead to more pollution and disturbance in the habitat.”
The orders also held officials responsible and claimed it the violation of the Supreme Court norms as no road in RTR and the national park can be widened without clearance from the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife.
It reads, “If such widening occurs without prior approval, all officers and field staff, including AC and range officers, will be held responsible. The widening of roads in protected areas without approval also violates the original order of the Supreme Court dated. The Supreme Court delegated the power of approving road widening in protected areas to the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife from October 5, 2015.”
This oversight may lead to air pollution in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR).Furthermore, the work was carried out in violation of Supreme Court norms.
These issues were identified in the recent orders issued by the office of the chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and field director, RTR.
In Ranthambore, the administration undertook repair and maintenance work on roads, including the Kamaldhar to Gular area of Nalghati, Busi Baori to Futa Bandha, Range ROPT, and others.
Talking to TOI, Mohit Gupta, DFO of RNP, said, “The orders have been received and we are committed to follow the rules. The repair works will be carried out as per the instruction given to the CCF office.”
The order states that the work was executed in a detrimental manner to the wildlife habitat, involving haphazard mining near existing roads for murram, soil, stones, and widening the existing road width. This process included cutting and filling in sloped areas of the hillsides and dumping debris into nearby streams, accelerating soil erosion and potential landslides in tourism zones.
“The extraction of good soil near roads, grassland, and valley areas, using it on the roads without proper compaction, results in pulverized soil conditions. This, in turn, raises soil dust several meters high when vehicles use the roads, causing significant air pollution within the habitat,” the order emphasizes.
Sources, however, claimed, the RNP has road network of 750km, and it is not feasible to bring sand and stones in trolleys.
He said, “This will lead to more pollution and disturbance in the habitat.”
The orders also held officials responsible and claimed it the violation of the Supreme Court norms as no road in RTR and the national park can be widened without clearance from the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife.
It reads, “If such widening occurs without prior approval, all officers and field staff, including AC and range officers, will be held responsible. The widening of roads in protected areas without approval also violates the original order of the Supreme Court dated. The Supreme Court delegated the power of approving road widening in protected areas to the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife from October 5, 2015.”
