The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will assess the impact of nearby human habitations on the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, which is witnessing an increase in wildlife population. The assessment will be part of a study to ascertain the possible effects of the dumping of inert civic waste in the abandoned Bhatti Mines.
The WII recently submitted a proposal to conduct a multidisciplinary study in the Asola Sanctuary to "collect baseline information on soil and groundwater, and flora, fauna and herpetofauna (lizards, snakes, turtles and tortoises) in the mined out pits".
The study will "identify and evaluate the cultural impact of nearby villages on the wildlife sanctuary", the WII said.
"The tremendous biotic pressure threatens the existence of the flora and fauna in the sanctuary ... (which is) surrounded by human habitations on the northern periphery (Sangam Vihar) and also in the middle (Sanjay Nagar)," it said. Activities such as poaching, cattle grazing, fuelwood collection and lopping result in high forest degradation, the institute said.
