Road expansion threatens Satpura-Melghat tiger corridor

Madhya Pradesh, with 526 tigers, narrowly pipped Karnataka (524 tigers) to win back the ‘Tiger Stripe’ tag after the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE)-2018. But it may lose this distinction due to callousness in enforcing wildlife mitigation measures for linear projects like roads by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The state has already lost 37 tigers this year due to various reasons, including road hits.
MP seems to have learnt no lessons from the dispute over wildlife mitigation on Pench-Kanha corridor (NH7) where the NHAI fell in line only after high court orders.Now a similar dispute has developed on NH46 (Betul-Hoshangabad), cutting the functional corridor between Melghat-Satpura tiger reserves.
Both, NHAI and MP forest department have bypassed the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, by not seeking National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) permissions while deciding on wildlife mitigation structures to expand three corridor stretches — Baretha Ghat, Bhoura (in Betul) and Kesla Ghat (Hoshangabad).
During a visit to Baretha, TOI found tree felling, cutting of ghat and levelling of roads in the forest stretch. Though the contractor JSIPL, Pune, claimed work is as per permissions from the forest department, the mitigation structures are not as per MoEFCC guidelines, approved by NTCA and MoRTH.
The NTCA has explicit powers to ensure tiger reserves and corridors link one protected area to another are not diverted for ecologically unsustainable uses, except in public interest and that too with the approval of NBWL and NTCA.
In such sensitive corridors, a minimum 300-metre underpass is needed for every kilometre of road passing through the forests. Sources told TOI, “After much politics, NHAI is making only 5 underpasses in 6km ghat section. These will be 15 to 200 metre long and 5 metres high. The combined length of all structures is 600 metres in the entire 6km Baretha stretch.”
All three forested patches fall in the tiger conservation plan (TCP) of both Satpura and Melghat tiger reserves, and hence as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, permission of the NBWL and NTCA is mandatory. This has not been taken. The staff at work say six days ago there was tiger movement in Baretha ghat section.
MP’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife) Alok Kumar said, “It is true that NBWL and NTCA permissions are needed. However, NHAI agreed to mitigation measures and work is being done as per set conditions only. I will check the conditions and get back to you.” However, Kumar failed to share the conditions and details of mitigation measures.
Vivek Jaiswal, NHAI regional manager, Bhopal, said the project was to be completed by 2019 but got delayed as tree felling permission was awaited and mitigation measures were yet to be decided. He too did not share mitigation details. “The issue has been resolved now,” he said.
The casual approach of MP forest department and NHAI, and NTCA’s silence is set to destroy the vital corridor connecting Satpura-Melghat, the two largest tiger reserves of Central Indian Landscape (CIL). Mitigation structures have not yet been decided in the other two stretches of Kesla Ghat and Bhoura. The NH46 from Betul to Obedullaganj connects Betul to Bhopal and bisects three sensitive patches in Baretha, Kesla Ghat and Bhoura.
A report ‘Connecting tiger populations for long-term conservation’ by well-known experts Q Qureshi, S Saini, P Basu, Rajesh Gopal, R Raza, and YV Jhala says this corridor is mostly through forested landscape with low-intensity agriculture and human density. It insists on safeguarding this corridor to maintain functionality of habitat as a viable corridor permitting gene flow of wild species between Satpura and Melghat.
The project work has recently resumed with fresh tree-felling and earthwork being undertaken. The forest staff on the spot said NHAI has felled over 10,000 trees till now. Inquiries showed the construction of several minor bridges is being passed off as mitigation measures for wildlife. “The mitigation measures are nowhere close to those required by rules,” said wildlife conservationists.
“The Satpura and Melghat tiger reserves lack sufficient tiger numbers, and need intervening corridors for tigers to move about. What is the point of voluntary relocation of villages to recover tiger populations if we destroy connectivity between these two tiger reserves,” asked Udayan Patil, wildlife conservationist.
Conservationists called the mitigation measures a farce and said nothing has changed even after the NH7 legal battle. “No lessons have been learned by the forest officials,” says environment and wildlife Manish Jeswani.
The activists have demanded action against forest officials for negligence and dereliction of duty. “What was the NTCA doing? Why did its officials not act on this,” they asked.
Conservationists working in the Satpura landscape said, “Tweets by MoRTH minister Nitin Gadkari claiming to build world-class mitigation measures on NH7 are an eyewash, as the roads ministry destroys several other corridors. The MoRTH itself has said that the linear guidelines of MoEFCC should be followed, then why did MoRTH fail to follow them?”
WILDLIFE LAWS SHOWN THE DOOR?
* Rs800 crore project sanctioned in 2014 but stuck over contractual disputes
* Tree felling started 3 years ago and recently resumed
* No mitigation measures in Kesla Ghat & Bhoura forest patches
* Mitigation in Baretha patch insufficient, not in line with guidelines
* Minor bridges being passed off as mitigation steps
* Clearance of State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), NTCA & NBWL not taken
* Mitigation as per MoRTH protocols also not done
IMPACT OF NO MITIGATION MEASURES
* The Satpura-Melghat in Central India & Eastern Ghats is among the 32 major tiger corridors across the country mapped by the NTCA. Management interventions for these corridors are operationalized through a TCP
* No mitigation will mean putting 10,000sqkm landscape integrity at stake
* Long-term viability of 70 plus population of tigers will be at stake in the Satpura-Melghat landscape threatening two big tigers reserves
* Rs 4,000 crore of public money at stake considering future expenditure on three roads in this landscape
* Studies have estimated a 50% loss of genetic diversity among endangered species due to a single road