Wednesday, September 16, 2009

YSR Memorial in Tiger Habitat

From the Press Reports it is learnt that the State Cabinet decided to erect a Memorial in honour of late Chief Minister Dr.Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy at the Helicopter crash site in the Nallamalla forests. The place where helicopter crashed at Pavurala Gutta (Tippa ) is understood to be located in the Core Tiger Area known as "Gundla Brahmeswara (GBM ) Wildlife Sanctuary".

Creation of "Critical Tiger Habitat"

The proposal to create a consolidated core of "Tiger Reserve" by merging critical Tiger Habitats of "Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve" with entire "Gundla Brahmeswara (GBM) Wildlife Sanctuary" was discussed in the 2 nd meeting of the State Board for Wildlife, chaired by non other than late Chief Minister Dr.Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy on 9-10-2007 and it was reviewed again in 3 rd meeting of State Board for Wildlife, chaired by Hon'ble Chief Minister Sri K. Rosaiah on 11-09-2009.

This consolidated "Core of Tiger Reserve" which will be notified as "Critical Tiger Habitat" along with the notified buffer of the Tiger Reserve, is expected to provide full landscape of more than 6,000 Sq.Kms, where the Tigers can safely survive for the next 200 years, with better chance to flourish.

No Activity will be permitted in the "Critical Tiger Habitat" including "GBM Wildlife Sanctuary". It will be "NO Activity Zone" after settling the cases of ROFR Act.

Ecological Impact of Memorial

The construction of proposed memorial at the site, associated approach roads /paths, infrastructure facilities, vehicular traffic, large number of visiting pilgrims to the memorial site etc, right in the protected "Critical Tiber Habitat", is bound to disturb the ecological balance and endanger the home for thousands of endangered animals, birds, rare medicinal and endemic plants, in the ecologically fragile area in the frightening and majestic Nallamalla Forests, the Flora and Fauna of which is pristine and beautiful.

The proposal of the State Government to erect a memorial for the late Chief Minister, Dr. Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy at the helicopter crash site in the "Critical Tiger Habitat", where any activity including construction of roads is banned as per Wildlife Act `1972, is of very serious concern to every Citizen, whose Fundamental Duty is to "Protect & Improve the Natural Environment, including Forests, Lakes, Rivers and Wildlife, and to have Compassion for every Living Creature"

Appeal

The beloved late Chief Minister " YSR", whose loss is irreparable, demonstrated his love for Nature and Wild life by launching the bold "Operation Restoration of Kolleru" for dismantling fishponds encroaching into the Government lands in the notified Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary. A fitting memorial to "YSR" will be to preserve nature and wild life and not to destroy them. The proposed memorial will, on the contrary, hurt YSR's values. We earnestly appeal to the State Government to change their decision.

In case the State Government does not change the decision, because of "Political Compulsions", the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt..of India, is requested not to accord Environmental Clearance for erection of the memorial in protected Tiger Habitat / Sanctuary

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3 comments:

  1. Ullash Kumar R KSeptember 17, 2009 at 5:17 AM

    We are too emotional people and do things in haste. Why should we have a memorial inside a Tiger Sanctuary. It does not make any sense.
    We must not allow such things.
    I liked the write up sir, i have send it to others also to make their comments.

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Dear Sir,

    A well written article. I would like to point your blog's readers to another blog article titled How Slayers and Sainted -> http://www.sandeepweb.com/2009/09/04/how-slayers-are-sainted/. I don't want to hurt peoples' sentiments but truth has to prevail.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RamanaSeptember 20, 2009 at 3:48 AM

    This is the only WLS where the number of tigers is stable in AP when compared to other sanctuaries. This is also the Tiger Reserve where the number of projects (completed and ongoing)is also on the high side.Construction of the proposed memorial will certainly endanger the wildlife.
    The Government of AP is certainly lacking foresight because, in the long run, the memorial, if constructed, will face the threat of being vandalized, by miscreants, since it will be impossible maintain round the clock vigil and as time passes the number of visitors to a remote location in the forest will go down.

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