Activist writes to Assam CM against allotting land near Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary to NDRF

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has been urged not to allot massive swathes of land adjoining a serious elephant habitat to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for establishing its 1st Battalion.

A navy station subsequent to the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) has already spelt catastrophe for greater than 50 elephants which have change into victims of frequent human-animal conflicts, Assam-based environmental activist Rohit Choudhury mentioned within the letter on December 2.

A means of allotting 250 bighas of land in Sonapur Revenue Circle of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district to the NDRF has been on since 2017. Wildlife activists have been stating that letting the drive occupy the plot adjoining the 78.64 sq km wildlife sanctuary would enhance the conflicts with elephants and different animals being at present confronted by the expansive Narengi Military Station.

“It is a well-known fact that Amchang WLS is home to over 50 elephants, deer, leopards, jungle cats and various other wildlife species. However, it is very disturbing to know that the government of Assam has allotted (250 bighas) land to NDRF for establishing its campus and constructing building in the area which qualifies to be forest…” Mr. Choudhury mentioned.

He additionally cited a collection of letters from the Divisional Forest Officer of Guwahati Wildlife Division to the Deputy Commissioner of the district involved.

In one such letter on January 5, 2017, the district authority was instructed that “…the plot of land allotted to the 1st Battalion NDRF at Amching is literally a forest area having beautiful forest cover and is contiguous to Amchang WLS almost in the middle part of it. The entire landscape with the plot of land allotted to NDRF is used by wild animals including elephants of Amchang WLS as an ideal habitat…”

The letter additional mentioned: “…the proposal to fell a large number of trees with huge quantity of earth-cutting at the site is going to alter the environment adversely for the wild animals in situ and in the contiguous wildlife sanctuary. That action will result in more conflict between the fringe villagers and wild animals…”

The activist additionally cited the minutes of a gathering Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) organised on September 5 this 12 months. Senior forest officers had within the assembly noticed that Amchang WLS “surrounds” the allotted land on three sides.

“Under the circumstances, the residents of NDRF campus are likely to face elephant depredation problem on a daily basis in future, similar to that being faced by the residents of the Narangi Military Station. Even during the initial construction period, wild animals particularly elephants and leopards would be disturbed and it may lead to serious human-animal conflicts in the fringe areas of the wildlife sanctuary resulting in loss of human life, domestic animals and property…”