Panel to examine 17 mining projects near tiger reserves

The Environment Ministry on Wednesday referred 17 mining and infrastructure projects falling in areas adjoining tiger reserves to a newly-constituted committee to study their impact on tiger conservation efforts....

The Environment Ministry on Wednesday referred 17 mining and infrastructure projects falling in areas adjoining tiger reserves to a newly-constituted committee to study their impact on tiger conservation efforts. Seven of the 17 projects are proposed in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh,the parliamentary constituency of Surface Transport Minister Kamal Nath,who has,in the past,complained to the Prime Minister about environmental roadblocks in infrastructure projects.

These proposals may please be examined from the point of view of any adverse impact on tiger conservation in the landscape, an Environment Ministry order said.

The four-member committee,headed by retired Indian Forest Service officer P K Sen,was constituted earlier this month with the mandate to examine the proposals of mining,infrastructure development and industries vis-à-vis their impact on tiger conservation. These proposed projects lie mostly in the protected areas around Tadoba,Bandhavgarh,Kanha and Pench all important tiger habitats in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

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Amongst the proposals referred to the committee is a power project by Adani group in Gondia district of Maharashtra which requires a diversion of more than 160 hectares of forest land for non-forest use.

The committee has been asked to make inspections of the areas and hold consultations with field officials and submit their recommendations within a month to the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

As per an amendment in the Wildlife Protection Act,buffer areas in tiger reserves are not supposed to have mining projects. In fact,a mining project in Tadoba tiger reserve had been turned down.

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