The Assam government has told the National Green Tribunal that traffic on a stretch of a national highway bypassing the Kaziranga National Park cannot be restricted absolutely as the road is an economic lifeline to areas rich in tea cultivation and coal and oil production.
Even as it was pulled up by the NGT over "ruthless killing" of several species of animals by allowing heavy traffic movement on the stretch bypassing the famous park, the Assam government claimed there has been no significant rise in mortality rate of animals in the past over two decades.
"The state government being a welfare state cannot ignore the welfare of the people who reside in lakhs in various townships in Upper Assam," the Assam government said in an affidavit submitted before the NGT.
"Further upper Assam is very rich in tea cultivation, coal and oil production, therefore, the state government is duty bound to protect the economic lifeline to that part of the state by balancing steps taken and to be taken to protect the wildlife of KNP area," it said.
"Records reveal that animal population in KNP is also increasing due to various conservation/ protection measures taken by the state forest department since 1991 while the mortality rate due to accidents has not shown any significant increase," said the affidavit filed by Assam Chief Secretary.
On the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) located near KNP and which supposedly adds to traffic on the stretch with trucks moving to and from the unit, the state said the MoEF should have monitored compliance of conditions imposed while granting clearance, which include diversion of the stretch bypassing KNP.
The NGT is hearing a plea filed by RTI activist Rohit Choudhury opposing expansion of the NH-37 stretch running through the national park claiming that "continued unregulated use of NH-37 is leading to death of wild animals and reptiles in large numbers in road accidents".
The Tribunal had on October 9 directed the Assam government to apprise it about the steps taken and proposed measures to protect the wild animals of KNP.
