NBWL Clears Defense Projects in Wildlife Sanctuaries

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, has approved 32 strategic defence infrastructure projects involving the diversion of land from protected areas and eco-sensitive zones across Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Ladakh, and Sikkim.

The approved projects include the construction of roads, helipads, training zones, ammunition depots, and troop accommodations—many of which are located in ecologically sensitive regions of Ladakh, including the Karakoram and Changthang Wildlife Sanctuaries. In Arunachal Pradesh, the NBWL gave clearance to two critical Border Roads Organisation (BRO) projects inside the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary:

A 56-km Malinye–Balua–Kapuda road involving 121 ha of land

A 20.88-km Kapuda–Phuphu road involving 44 ha

In Gujarat, approvals were granted for a BOP link road and helipad within Narayan Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary, while in Sikkim, 0.29 ha from the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary was cleared for a BRO hot mix plant under Project Swastik.

Over two dozen projects in Ladakh received clearances, including for an artillery regiment base, missile systems, forward aviation base, and strategic roads, with the condition that the legal status of the land remains unchanged.

News  by Rahul Yelligetti.