The Rajaji tiger reserve administration has stressed that no gaps will be left in the wall being constructed near the railway track in its Khadkhadi range after a district official reached the site and cited demand of the locals that gaps left on the wall enable water drainage. The Rajaji authorities are getting a wall constructed to mitigate human wildlife conflict in the Khadkhadi range where the Himalaya Colony is located on one side of the tracks. Former honourary wildlife warden Dinesh Pandey alleged that since there is no proper sewage system in most homes in the colony, the sewage from the homes was being dumped in Rajaji. The construction of this wall will prevent such dumping of waste and in turn mitigate fatalities of elephants and other wildlife on the railway track. Animals are attracted at times by the water and garbage but are often hit by trains while crossing the track, he said while adding that this area had high incidence of elephant and other wildlife mortality from train hits. He alleged that the Rishikesh sub divisional magistrate had visited the site on Sunday and directed that gaps be left on the wall to allow drainage from the locality into Rajaji.
The SDM, Rishikesh, Santosh Kumar Pande said that he had been told by the colony residents that the natural drainage of rainwater would be prevented by construction of the wall and lead to water logging in the colony. “I had only asked for some provision to ensure that the rainwater is allowed to drain past the wall,” he said while denying that sewage from the colony was being dumped into Rajaji. He said that he will facilitate all necessary cooperation in case a proposal for waste management is made by the Haripur Kala Gram Panchayat under which the colony falls. Meanwhile, Rajaji director Neena Grewal stressed that no gap will be left on the wall to enable water drainage. The wall is being constructed to mitigate human wildlife conflict considering the mortality rate of wild animals in the area, she added.