Two senior Indian Forest Service officers suspended over tree felling at Corbett Tiger Reserve

By Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand authorities has suspended two senior Indian Forest Service officers in reference to unlawful tree felling and development on the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR).

The motion was taken on Wednesday. Officials from the state authorities mentioned that additional motion will probably be taken within the matter quickly.

Subodh Uniyal, state forest minister mentioned, “Our goverment is committed to zero tolerance policy towards violation of the law of the land. Further action will be take as per the law.”

JS Suhag, former chief wildlife warden who held the submit of chief government officer (CAMPA) until Wednesday, and Kishan Chand, former divisional forest officer of Kalagarh Tiger Reserve, had been suspended.

CTR director Rahul (who goes by his first identify) was faraway from his submit and connected to the workplace principal chief conservator of forests, Dehradun.

In January this yr, the Uttarakhand High Court had directed the chief secretary and principal secretary, forests, of the state to take motion in opposition to officers over unlawful constructions and felling of bushes within the reserve’s Pakhro and Morghati areas.

On April 17, the state authorities served a show-cause discover to Rahul and requested him to answer inside 15 days.

In October 2021, the Uttarakhand High Court taking suo moto cognizance of alleged unlawful development within the CTR and violation by the state forest division officers issued a discover to the state authorities and requested the state authorities to file replies within the matter.

Earlier, a committee shaped by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) discovered that with a purpose to permit unlawful development and buildings, state forest division officers cast authorities data and violated the legal guidelines.

The committee was shaped by the NTCA after a petition by Gaurav Kumar Bansal, Supreme Court advocate, wildlife activist and conservationist.

Bansal in his petition had submitted that the unlawful development of bridges and wall in tiger breeding habitat of the CTR has disturbed the entire ecology of the Corbett panorama.

The NTCA committee additionally really useful initiating motion in opposition to state forest officers together with a vigilance inquiry.

Following this, Magsaysay awardee and 2002 batch Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi was nominated because the investigation officer of the case by the then HoFF Bhartari.

Later, Chaturvedi withdrew, citing makes an attempt to destroy the ‘sanctity’ of the investigation. After this, one other senior official additionally refused to conduct an investigation within the matter.

On August 12, 2021, the NTCA issued a discover to the chief wildlife warden of the state asking him to submit a factual standing report within the matter after a authorized discover was despatched by Bansal to the NTCA over the problem.

On August 23, 2021, the Delhi High Court additionally directed NTCA to take motion in respect of unlawful development of bridges and partitions inside essential tiger habitat within the CTR as expeditiously as doable and practicable.

Interestingly, final yr, on International Tiger Day, the report titled ‘Status of Tigers Co-predators and Prey in India’, launched by the Union ministry of atmosphere, forest and local weather change minister (MoEFCC) revealed that the Corbett Tiger Reserved has the best tiger density amongst 50 tiger reserves in India.

The CTR has 14 tigers per 100 sq. kilometres.