A contempt petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the Uttarakhand government for resuming construction of a road project in Rajaji National Park that was stalled by the top court in 2019 for want of statutory forest and wildlife clearances.
As the 11.5 kilometre-road cuts through an ecologically sensitive wildlife corridor serving as a crucial link for tigers and elephants to cross between Rajaji National Park and Corbett National Park, the Supreme Court had on July 29, 2019 held, “No road activity shall be undertaking without obtaining statutory approvals under Section 38 of the Wildlife Protection Act.” Section 38 requires approval of NBWL for any project undertaken in a wildlife sanctuary or national park.
