Nurpur: Despite Supreme Court ban, land around Pong Dam being cultivated

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, December 3

The Supreme Court had on February 14, 2000, imposed a ban on all non-forestry activities in wildlife sanctuaries across the country but some habitual offenders are ploughing land surrounding the Pong Dam Wetland in Kangra district to sow rabi crops.

Activity harmful for winged guests

• Offenders have ploughed land falling under the jurisdiction of the Nagrota Surian wildlife range. Thousands of exotic migratory birds have thronged the wildlife sanctuary these days.
• All human activity like cultivation of land there is considered detrimental to winged guests.
• Over one lakh migratory birds visit the wetland during the winter every year.
• Environmentalists have been raising the issue of illegal cultivation with the Wildlife Department for the past several years

As per information, these politically influential offenders have ploughed land falling under the jurisdiction of the Nagrota Surian wildlife range.

Meanwhile, thousands of exotic migratory birds have thronged the wildlife sanctuary these days. All human activity like cultivation of land there is considered detrimental to winged guests.

The Union Government had in 1999 notified the Pong Dam wetland area spread over around 300 sq km as a wildlife sanctuary under the Indian Wildlife Act 1972. Over one lakh migratory birds visit the wetland during the winter every year. It is alleged that farmers, who illegally cultivate this fertile land, used to poison migratory birds to save their crops.

Environmentalists have been raising the issue of illegal cultivation with the Wildlife Department for the past several years after the Supreme Court’s order imposing the ban. Milkhi Ram Sharma, a noted environmentalist, has been engaged in a crusade against illegal cultivation in the wetland area since 2015. He has filed a civil writ petition (CWC) in the Himachal High Court, seeking directions to the state government to stop the cultivation of land. He lamented that the wildlife wing of the Forest Department, which is the custodian of the Pong wetland area, has failed to check this illegal activity.

Sharma said that the Himachal High Court, in July last year, had directed the state wildlife authorities to stop illegal cultivation in the wildlife sanctuary area. “If the Wildlife Department doesn’t take strict measures to stop illegal activities in the wetland’s wildlife sanctuary area, I will file a contempt petition in the High Court against the authorities concerned,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Pavinder Kumar, Officiating Range Officer of Nagrota Surian, says that after getting information about illegal cultivation in the wetland area, he sent a team of field staff to the spot. Anyone found involved in illegal cultivation would face action as per the law.

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