 "KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING PROJECT")
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has suggested constitution of a committee to monitor the pre and post construction works related to Ken-Betwa river linking project, fearing loss of 90 sq km area of Madhya Pradesh's Panna Tiger Reserve.
It suggested three sanctuaries — Madhya Pradesh's Nauradehi and Rani Durgawati wildlife sanctuaries and Uttar Pradesh's Ranipur wildlife sanctuary — are brought under Project Tiger.
"Commencement of works shall not be permitted till notification of at least core or critical tiger habitats is carried out by respective state governments. States should expedite the process as benefits of the project shall accrue to both," the NTCA said in a letter to chief wildlife wardens of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
A committee shall be set up to monitor the works during pre-construction, during construction and post-construction phases, it said.
The committee will have Assistant Inspectors General (NTCA), regional office, Nagpur and headquarters here; representative of Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun; Deputy Director, Panna Tiger Reserve and representative of Global Tiger Forum, an NGO working for big cats, said the letter, a copy of which was received in response to an RTI query filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.
"90 square km of tiger habitat, including potential tiger habitat shall be submerged," the NTCA cited as major issue of concern.
Besides, much of the hardship and investment which has been put in to recover tigers at Panna shall be taken away by the project, it said.
"In respect of water and livelihood issues, if project estimates are realistic, the socio-economic status of people in Bundelkhand region is likely to get a major face-lift. Given that the region is poverty-ridden, the realised benefit of the project cannot be ignored and there would certainly be a need to strike a balance between wildlife considerations and people's livelihood concerns," the letter said.
The Ken-Betwa project is expected to provide drinking water supply for 13.42 lakh people and help irrigate 6.75 lakh hectares of land in Bundelkhand region covering parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The project is founded on construction of a dam at Dhaudan village inside the Panna Tiger Reserve's core area in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
At present, there are around 35 tigers in the reserve, which had in 2009 reported extinction of the big cats.
According to another official report, "About 7.2 lakh trees above 20 cm girth at breast height would submerge in the national park area and this number may go up to about 12 lakh stems when young poles and established sapling are accounted".
It had said an equally high number of trees will be cut or lost in the forest areas outside the national park.
"The NTCA has raised certain concerns related to Ken-Betwa project which must be looked into by the Centre before going ahead with the project," said Dubey.
The estimated cost of Ken-Betwa project is Rs 9,393 crore.
