BJP’S NAGDWAR DENOTICATION WAS REJECTED BY CONG THREE YEARS AGO

Nagpur: Three years after the standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) turned down the proposal for de-notifying Nagdwar, Mahadev and Chouragarh pilgrimage sites from Satpuda Tiger Reserve (STR), the proposal is suddenly being pushed again by the BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) government. As most of the pilgrims are from Nagpur and nearby areas, it seems to be a populist measure with the government eyeing forthcoming municipal elections.
The then Congress-led UPA government as well as National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) were not in favour of the project considering the serious impact the denotification would have on the fragile ecology of the tiger reserve. Former NBWL member Kishor Rithe said the committee had unanimously decided to reject the proposal. “There is no ban on worshipping. There is regulation on tourism to maintain discipline and sanctity of the place. The proposal was neither in favour of wildlife nor temples and the situation remains unchanged. When it has already been disapproved by wildlife experts on scientific grounds, why is it being made a political issue for vote bank?” said Rithe. He added that the denotification will also result in concretization in the form of resorts and other tourist facilities in the sensitive area.
As reported by TOI earlier, the union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has indicated that it was okay with excluding Nagdwar and other pilgrimage sites around Pachmarhi. The proposal includes delinking of a 16 sq km area, which is almost equivalent to the black buck sanctuary at Karanja-Sohol in Washim district.
Conservationists say that the proposed de-notification and subsequent uncontrolled pilgrimage and development will destroy one of the most bio-diverse habitats of Central India. “This area is the sole representative of the central Indian subtropical hill forest which is found nowhere else in the seven states of Central Indian tiger landscape. The area has many evergreen species of trees found rarely in other areas and is a hot spot of bio-diversity,” said Ajay Dubey, founder of Bhopal-based environment protection NGO Prayatna.
The annual religious fairs of Nagdwar and Mahadev, which are held on occasions like Nag Panchami and Mahashivratri, draw over 10 lakh pilgrims who cover a journey of about 28-30km on foot. “The pilgrimages itself leave the area highly disturbed and leave a huge pile of garbage in river streams and forest. Several cases of illegal activities have also been observed during the pilgrimage,” said Dubey. He added that the de-notification of critical tiger habitat, which was secured by relocation of villages like Kajri and Rorighat, will cause irreparable damage.
Experts pointed out that the recently discovered Eurasian Otter, which are surviving in STR, will also be threatened and might entirely disappear as the species is highly sensitive to disturbances.
A senior official from Madhya Pradesh forest department requesting anonymity said that the proposal raises a big question on safety of pilgrims. “As the area is inside core forest, it is home to tigers, leopards, sloth bears and other wild animals. At present, forest officials monitor visitors and ensure their safety. But once de-notified, who will take the responsibility in case visitors are attacked by wild animals,” he asked. He added that a landslide had also occurred two years back on the route of Nagdwar.
Hoshangabad collector Sanket Bhondve said that a team of officials also visited Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala where a large number of devotees visit Sabarimala temple. “The team is yet to submit an official report but they believe that Nagdwar and Mahadev can be developed on similar lines. Visitors who walk on the 16km trek to Nagdwar face difficulties due to lack of basic amenities. We are planning to provide them drinking water and toilet facilities but will keep in mind the eco-sensitivity of the area,” he added.