The State Government’s decision to open the Dabka river for collection of riverbed materials along with other rivers in the State, got withheld for the time being, with the National Board of Wildlife (NBW) directing the State forest department to have a relook at the impact of collection of riverbed materials from the Dabka river on wildlife, describing this river belt in Ramnagar as a ‘critical tiger habitat’.
The NBW is of the view that, as officials concerned of the State forest department maintain, exploitation of riverbed materials from this ‘critical tiger habitat, may adversely affect wildlife in this tiger populated area.’
However, to study what the repercussions of collection of riverbed materials from the Dabka river belt would be, a committee has been constituted following the directions of the NBW, Vivek Pandey, Conservator of Forest (CF), western circle, told The Pioneer.
Now allowing permission to extract riverbed materials from the Dabka river belt is subject to the findings of this committee, added Pandey.The NBW has taken the decision to review the impact of the exploitation of riverbed materials from the Dabka river on wildlife, taking a departure from the Government of India’s last year’s decision in which it granted permission for collection of the riverbed materials from Dabka and other rivers of the Kumaon division for 10 years.
Though permission for collection of riverbed materials from other rivers, including Gola river in Haldwani, has already been granted, the NBW wants to review the impact of this commercial activity on wildlife, particularly tiger movements in the Dabka river belt before taking a final decision on the same issue, added the officials concerned.
In a major development, the State Government has now decided to hand over the works related to collection of riverbed materials to private hands. Now, as per this decision, the Forest Development Corporation, however, will continue to look after the works related to the collection of riverbed materials from Gola, Nandhaur, Koshi rivers in the Kumaon division.
However, the fact is that despite clearance from the Government of India, works related to collection of riverbed materials have not yet been started from the aforesaid Gola, Nandhaur, Koshi to name a few rivers here.
Generally, collection of riverbed materials commences from October. However, due to delay in starting the same work, there is huge disappointment among the traders associated with the collection of riverbed material. “As we all know, the collection of the riverbed materials start here from October. But this year, despite clearance from the Central Government, the work has not yet been started here, said Suresh Kandpal, a trader.
Since thousands of people are associated with this collection of riverbed materials for livelihood, therefore we demand from the State Government early commencement of the collection of the riverbed materials from the rivers in the Kumaon division,” he added.Besides providing a livelihood option for thousands of people here, the collection of riverbed materials is also a source of revenue for the Government.