Hanging fire since 2013, the proposal of Indian Air Force (IAF) for installation of radar and helipad at the world famous ski-resort Gulmarg in Jammu & Kashmir to track the aerial activity in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) region has finally received the green signal from the Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL).

The Board, which is the highest decision-making body of the Union Environment Ministry on flora and fauna, recently gave its nod for diversion of a patch of 1.18 hectares of forest land from Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary and 12.35 hectares of forestland outside the sanctuary for the establishment of air Defence and weaponry along with helipad.

The area is home to the endangered musk deer, brown bear, snow leopard besides hundreds of plant species and avifauna.

Estimated at Rs 300 crore, the ‘mountain radar project’ is part of the ‘national defence modernisation’ plan aimed to ‘enhance air Defence capability in the mountainous terrain of northern and eastern part of the country’. The Board, however, in its meeting held recently here under the chairmanship of Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, made it clear that eco-fragile areas of Gulmarg will not be tampered with as demanded by the State Government.

The State Chief Wildlife Warden had recommended the proposal with the conditions that the proprietary and legal status of the protected area shall remain unchanged while no tree-cutting will be allowed at the construction site.

Also, no blasting will be permitted in the area and a wildlife conservation plan should be prepared by the Chief Wildlife Warden and implemented in cooperation with Army authorities to mitigate the impact of the project.

The project proponent, IAF, had submitted that the “project is required for better radar visibility inside Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan. There is no service available in the region to track the aerial activity in the PoK region which has been a threat to various military and militancy activities during peace and war, it said. Aerial activities in the area are a cause of concern.

“The proposed deployment of server and weaponry is vital to providing such capability. After the installation of the system, activities inside the Pakistan territory would be monitored and shall provide an edge in detecting aerial or incursion attempts across the line of control. This will also increase the Defence capability of the entire Kashmir region,” sources said quoting the communication from the IAF.

The State Government had maintained that the EIA had suggested that the project will not lead to any tangible adverse environmental impact on ecology of the area. The NBWL has sought a wildlife conservation plan to be prepared by the State Chief Wildlife warden and implemented in cooperation with army authorities to mitigate the impact of the project.