RAIPUR: The Centre has directed the Chhattisgarh government to examine allegations of illegal eco-tourism projects involving permanent constructions within the ecologically fragile Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.
The intervention by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), sparked by a complaint from advocate Byas Muni Dwivedi, centres on the unauthorised constructions of a ‘welcome gate’ and ‘cement staircases’ under the guise of eco-tourism development inside the sensitive Green Cave in Kutumsar area. The constructions allegedly bypass the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980.
Under the Centre’s guidelines, permanent masonry in protected national parks is strictly prohibited without clearance by the environment ministry. In his submission the complainant said, “A budget of Rs 48.45 lakh for the permanent constructions was approved by the PCCF (wildlife) and released in two instalments.”
The Centre’s directive, signed by Deepika Chaudhary, Deputy Inspector General of Forests, has been circulated to top state officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-Head of Forest Force (PCCF-HoFF) and the Nodal Officer for the Forest Conservation Act in Raipur. The state government has been asked to examine the legal violations and take action as per the law.
Dwivedi’s petition points to the environment ministry’s directive on October 25, 2021, which explicitly states that permanent construction in forest areas is prohibited and is classified as a “non-forestry activity”. The ministry had issued guidelines on the legal boundaries of eco-tourism development in 2021.
The ministry ruled that any permanent construction for eco-tourism on a forest land is classified as a “non-forestry activity”, requiring mandatory Central clearances to curb the trend of “concrete tourism” in ecologically sensitive zones.
Dwivedi urged the Centre to direct the Chhattisgarh government to register a criminal case against the PCCF (wildlife) and the Director of Kanger Valley National Park for approving permanent constructions at the ecosensitive Green Cave.
Earlier this year, the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, shared concern with this newspaper, saying that increased dust, noise, vibration, and altered humidity from tourist footfall can cause immediate and long-term irreversible impacts on the Green Cave environment..
Environmentalists say dust from constructions has dulled the cave’s green formations. The HC recently asked park director to file an affidavit on conservation measures.
The Centre’s directive to the state government signals a growing crackdown on “concrete eco-tourism” in protected zones, conservationists say.