This area, still popularly referred to as the Hazaribagh National Park on the basis of its first declaration in 1954, is located in the state's Hazaribagh district. After the enactment of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, it was declared a sanctuary in 1976. These sal-dominated forests are home to a variety of wildlife and form a part of vital elephant and tiger corridors. The two-lane Hazaribagh-Barhi stretch of National Highway No. 33 runs through the sanctuary, and there is a proposal to expand this to four lanes. The alignment of the proposed Koderma-Hazaribagh railway line will be parallel to this highway. Both these projects will combine to effectively cut the sanctuary into two separate sections, making animal movement between them very difficult and dangerous to both animals and humans.
The Hazaribagh National Park is a vital part of a forest corridor that provides a link from the forests of the Palamau Tiger Reserve to the southwest, to the forests of the Konar catchment to the east. Wildlife corridors in the area are already under immense pressure due to extensive coal mining in the region.
The forest department has expressed grave reservations about this project on ecological grounds. In June 2000, Mamata Banerjee, the Minister for Railways, was in Hazaribagh to review the progress of the project. Along with the Finance Minister, Yashwant Sinha, she held discussions with senior forest, railway and state government officials, focusing on the ecological damage that will be caused by the railway line.
Banerjee has said that a joint monitoring committee will be set up under the leadership of Sinha, including representatives of the MoEF, railways and state government to discuss the issue and come up with a mutually agreeable solution within three months. But, alarmingly, she has simultaneously given an assurance that the work on the railway line will begin by mid-October!
The government departments concerned need to take account of the environmental concerns raised and look into the alternative alignments that have been suggested. It is vital that the alignments of both the highway and railway line are changed, as was done in the case of a highway running through the Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh. Local wildlifers have suggested taking NH 33 straight off the existing highway to Meru from Demotand, a place 10 km. out of town on the way to Ranchi, and carrying the new railway line alongside it to a point 10 km. east of a place called Ichak and around the easternmost fringe of the Hazaribagh National Park. This area is said to be relatively deforested, and the alignment could proceed from here to Barhi from where it can join the existing NH 33 and continue towards Koderma.
Those who wish to express their concern and opposition to the proposed decimation of yet another wildlife habitat by both the four-laning of National Highway 33 and the Koderma-Hazaribagh railway line should Write a letter now. Ask that the alternative alignments that has been suggested be taken up instead.
