Dehradun: The authorities in Uttarakhand have failed to take action against forest officials accused of illegal felling of trees for the Pakhro Tiger Safari project at the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The Uttarakhand Forest Department has denied the allegations.
As per a recent report compiled by the Forest Survey of India, over 6,000 trees were illegally cut by the Uttarakhand government in the Corbett Tiger Reserve for the Pakhro Tiger Safari project against the permissible 163. The Pakhro Tiger Safari project was undertaken in 2020 in the Pakhro Range of Kalagarh Forest Division of Corbett Tiger National Park.
A total of 163 green trees were to be cut in the construction of Tiger Safari. But more than 6000 trees were cut there. In its survey report, FSI has found that 6093 trees were eliminated on 16.21 hectares of forest land in the Pakhro range of Kalagarh Forest Division in Corbett Tiger Reserve. However, the Uttarakhand Forest Department officials are raising questions over this report.
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Principal Conservator of Forest Vinod Singhal said that they have requested the Forest Survey of India to revisit the report and cross-check it through the latest satellite images and the tools and technology that FSI has at its disposal. The Central Empowered Committee had in September asked the Uttarakhand government to submit its views on the allegations regarding the illegal felling of trees in the said forest division.
The issue was flagged by Environmental Activist Gaurav Bansal, who had filed a petition in the National Tiger Conservation Authority on 26 August 2021 and demanded to fix the responsibility and accountability of the guilty officers. Following the backlash, police lodged an FIR into the incident even as two IFS officers have been suspended in the case, while one IFS officer has been attached to the headquarters.
However, the authorities in Uttarakhand are being accused of hushing up the case and shielding the main culprits. Rahul Kumar, who was the director during that time in Corbett, was only attached. The two IFS officers who were suspended in this case are both retired while many IFS officers of the department are directly responsible for this but have been left scot-free.
Besides, the role of the IAS officer of the government was also ignored and no action was taken against him, sources said. The case is currently in a court of law. The project was touted as PM Modi's dream project after his adventurous trip to Corbet Tiger Reserve in February 2019.
