The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has authorized the establishing of a brand new IAF base in Ladakh, the place Indian and Chinese troops are dealing with a face-off alongside the Line of Actual Control since May 2020.
The approval for the IAF base was given at a excessive stage assembly on 29 July. The base, which can be situated within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in jap Ladakh, not removed from the LAC, can be unfold over 508.187 hectares of land.
NBWL has authorized eight protection initiatives in Changthang and Karakoram wildlife sanctuaries as India takes steps to boost its protection infrastructure alongside the LAC in step with what’s being performed by China to improve its navy infrastructure within the area. form of initiative.
The initiatives have been cleared by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Ladakh earlier than being despatched to the NBWL for approval.
The Defense Ministry will now require environmental clearances, together with the Forest Conservation Act (1980) and the Environment Protection Act (1986), because the area falls below the protected chilly desert of Ladakh.
The NBWL has additionally laid down: “The officers/officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation shall have uninterrupted access to the project site for the discharge of their duties.”
As the federal government seeks to develop and improve the infrastructure alongside the LAC, the Standing Committee has authorized the proposal for utilization of 1259.25 hectares of land from Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary for Mahe Field Firing Range, apart from development of an IAF base.
Upgradation of three roads situated within the strategically vital space has additionally been authorized – 27.5 hectare from Karakoram Sanctuary to double lane of twenty-two.5 hectare Khalsar-Agham highway, for upgradation of 6.875 hectare from Karakoram Sanctuary to Leh-Chalunka highway and 107.406 hectares from Changthang Sanctuary for the development of T-Salu Changchemo Road in Ladakh.
The NBWL stipulated that animal passages must be enforced and maintained in these elements.
Environment clearance has additionally been given for laying optical fiber cables in these two sanctuaries.
Spread over 1600 sq km, the Changthang Sanctuary is situated on the Tibetan Changthang Plateau and has among the highest elevation lakes together with Tso Moriri and is legendary for being the house of the snow leopard. Apart from about 200 species of untamed crops, Tibetan wolf, wild yak, bharal, brown bear, marmot, Tibetan wild ass and deep-throated stork are additionally discovered within the sanctuary.
The Karakoram Sanctuary is unfold over 5,000 sq km within the Leh district and is residence to the well-known Tibetan antelope. This is the primary time that the NBWL has taken be aware of the proposals for the Ladakh area because the area didn’t come below the Wildlife Protection Act earlier than the abrogation of Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
