Wildlife activists here demanded that a Coca Cola store be removed from its present location after a joint survey by the authorities confirmed that it was encroaching on Rajaji national park’s land.
A joint survey by Revenue department and Forest department in November 2013 had found that pillar numbers 97 and 99 in compartment number two of Mayapur west beat in Rajaji were not in their
designated place.
Considering this, it was ascertained that the Coca Cola store was clearly an encroachment in the Mayapur beat of Rajaji.
The national park field director SP Subudhi then wrote a letter to the wildlife warden, Haridwar, Rajaji national park, in December 2013, directing him to take necessary action in this case and remove the encroachment without delay. In a letter to the principal secretary, Forest and Environment, PFA Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi has said that about 20,000 square feet land in Rajaji has been encroached upon for this store.
“A Haridwar resident who is responsible for this encroachment and removing the pillars is reportedly taking more than Rs1 lakh per month from the managers of the Coca Cola store. Due to the involvement of some officers of the Forest Department no action has been taken yet against either the Haridwar resident or the store management,” alleged Maulekhi, while adding that the Rajaji director should have taken action in this case but shifted his responsibility to another officer. She has demanded that action be taken in this case without delay especially as Rajaji is expected to be converted into a tiger reserve.