The Hindu : National : Environmentalists assail Ministry for `failure' to protect wildlife

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

National

National

Environmentalists assail Ministry for `failure' to protect wildlife

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 5. Several wildlife lovers and environmentalists have expressed concern over the increasing threat to wildlife due to the clearing of forests for development projects.

In an open letter to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the environmentalists have said that, even as the nation celebrates National Wildlife Week, critical wildlife habitats continue to be "cleared" for dams, mines, roads, ports, industries and other development projects, by the Ministry — the Central agency in charge of protecting India's wildlife.

According to the letter wildlife in India continues to suffer serious threats, with more than five per cent of the species being in danger of extinction.The Ministry and other agencies need to take drastic action to save these species. Despite claims that it has improved its wildlife conservation performance, the Ministry's record in protecting wildlife from "destructive development and commercial" pressures has gone from bad to worse, it said.

The letter has been sent by Kalpavriksha, Toxics Link, the Centre for Equity Studies and Sanctuary Asia on behalf of about 40 environmental groups and wildlife lovers.

'Bad appraisal'

Poor environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a disregard for citizens' inputs are key causes for this decline, it said. "As civil society groups, we are deeply concerned with this trend, which poses a grave threat to India's wildlife habitats and simultaneously to the lives and livelihoods of tribals and other communities that depend on such habitats. We demand that urgent steps be taken to arrest this trend, and to guarantee the security of critical wildlife habitats against destructive development."

Citing examples, the letter said the Ministry had often cleared projects despite poor EIA, allowed "destructive development projects" inside protected areas, ignored citizens' inputs, weakened the National Board for Wildlife and expert committees for environment clearance and diluted the notification issued under the Environment Protection Act many times. This has made wildlife habitats and sensitive ecosystems more vulnerable to development pressures, it alleged.

The environmental groups wanted the Ministry of Environment and Forests to draw up a list of critical wildlife and biodiversity habitats in India that are not open to large-scale development projects. It must ask for public response to proposals before granting clearance and evolve appropriate mechanisms to inform citizens on what action has been taken on their submissions, the letter said.

The Ministry should make public the status of compliance of the conditions of environment and forest clearance, it said.

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