The Stage-1 approval given to Ken Betwa project by the Standing Committee of National Board For Wildlife is set to be challenged in National Green Tribunal (NGT), considering the likely environmental damage it would cause to the biodiversity of the entire Panna Biosphere reserve.
While the clearance has disappointed the green lobby at large, the case would be taken up in the Principal Bench of NGT by wildlife activist from Madhya Pradesh, Ajay Dubey. Panna Biosphere Reserve, the third of its kind in the State and 18th in the country, was notified by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests on August 25, 2011. “It is not just about the Tiger Reserve but also a blow to some of the unique floral and faunal wealth of the reserve,” said Dubey.
The Reserve has rich biodiversity comprising 34 mammalian species, including tigers, lesser cats like Siyah Gosh and Jungle cat, black buck among others. It has over 280 species of birds and a total of 1,255 species of plants.