NEW DELHI: Citing non-compliance with environmental norms, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to the Rajasthan Government, Union Environment Ministry, and others over unauthorized entry of “luxury vehicles” in Ranthambore National Park.
The tribunal has also directed the respondents to file their replies and transferred the case to its Central Zonal Bench in Bhopal for further consideration on October 16.
Last month, around 19 SUVs, including 14 from Ranthambore National Park's Zone-8 and five from nearby hotels, having registration plates of Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, entered the prohibited national park.
The decision came in after the coram of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson and expert member Dr. Afroz Ahmad who took suo-motu cognizance of a news report and videos depicting illegal entry of dozens of luxury vehicles in the highly sensitive ‘Tiger Reserve’ located in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur.
During the hearing, the bench observed how these influential people entered zone number 8 of the National Park in their “luxury vehicles” while raising serious questions over authorities responsible for handling the national park.
“Moreover, Ranthambore National Park is closed for three months during the rainy season and only contracted vehicles can visit the park between zone number 6-10 with the forest department’s permission. However, the vehicles including Mahindra Scorpio and Thar as seen in the video are not allowed to enter the forest at all,” the bench said.
The bench further remarked that these vehicles can’t enter the Ranthambore forest without the connivance of the forest department officials. “......Ranthambore has a surveillance system and anti-poaching system, through which the forest department keeps a close watch on the entire Ranthambore and keeps an eye on every movement happening in the forest,” read the NGT order.
The NGT noted that as per the video, all the vehicles entered the National Park from Balas Chowki and came out of the forest via Hindwad, while this entire area comes under “Critical Tiger Habitat”. “No one is allowed to enter and exit this place under any circumstances,” the bench said.