On the elephant’s track

Railway and transmission lines, as well as roads, are necessary for connectivity, power and communication. However, a sensitive approach towards wildlife, both in planning and implementation, is currently lacking and a more holistic developmental approach is indispensable. Railway tracks were first laid in the mid-19th century, when forest tracts were extensive and there were no serious threats to wildlife conservation. However, in the changed socio-economic scenario, achieving ecologically sustainable developmental goals should be one of the priorities. This is an opportunity for the parliamentary committee to put things on the right track.

The writer is a wildlife biologist working in the Western Ghats and a member of the State Wildlife Advisory Board in Karnataka

express@expressindia.com

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