Row over wildlife funds for Shinkula Tunnel project

Thakur said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 14.06 crore under the Wildlife Management Plan to mitigate the environmental impact of the Shinkula Tunnel project. He alleged that the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department had proposed spending Rs 7.83 crore — about 55.7 per cent of the total amount — outside Lahaul-Spiti, while only Rs 6.23 crore would be utilised within the district.

“The environmental impact of the Shinkula Tunnel will primarily be borne by Lahaul-Spiti. Therefore, the entire environmental compensation amount should be spent in the project-affected region,” Thakur said.

He demanded transparency in the utilisation of the funds and urged the state government to ensure that the sanctioned amount is used exclusively for conservation measures within Lahaul-Spiti.

The Shinkula Tunnel, being constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,681 crore, is expected to provide all-weather connectivity and strengthen strategic access to the border region.

Thakur, however, said the project could affect the habitat of rare Himalayan wildlife, including the snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, ibex and grey wolf, making focused conservation efforts within Lahaul-Spiti essential.

Responding to the allegations, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Lahaul, Inderjeet Singh clarified that the Rs 14.06 crore allocation pertained only to the Wildlife Management Plan, while the Soil and Moisture Conservation Plan (SMCP) was a separate component proposed entirely within the project-affected area of Lahaul.

He said the Wildlife Management Plan had been prepared on the basis of wildlife habitats and movement corridors rather than administrative boundaries.

“Species such as the snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear and wolf move across forest landscapes and district boundaries. Therefore, a landscape-based conservation approach is scientifically necessary,” the DFO said.

He added that certain components of the plan involve strengthening specialised wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and monitoring facilities, which may be located outside the district but would benefit wildlife across the entire high Himalayan region, including Lahaul-Spiti.

The Forest Department maintained that all activities under the plan had been proposed in accordance with approved scientific guidelines and were aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the project through effective wildlife conservation.