Maneka Gandhi urges Govt to rid Dhela Range in Corbett Tiger Park of naked power lines

By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 14 May: Former Union Minister, senior BJP leader and renowned animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has raised serious concerns over naked power transmission lines passing through the Dhela Range of Corbett National Park. In fact, flagging these power transmission lines as a major threat to birds, she has been raising concerns in this regard for the past one year.
Speaking to my uttarakhand news, she asserted that over the past one year, more than 3,000 birds have perished after being electrocuted due to these naked power lines. She named eagles, kites, vultures and owls among the bird species most affected by electrocution.
Gandhi also lamented that she has repeatedly raised the issue before Corbett Tiger Reserve Director Saket Badola and other officials and that, despite assurances of positive action in this regard, no concrete action is visible on the ground, while both large and small birds continue to be electrocuted. She stated that the park officials informed her that they would write to the electricity department and seek removal of these naked power lines from the range. She also reminded that most of these bird species are now endangered and wondered why no action has been taken so far.
Gandhi further pointed out that she had also spoken to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan in this regard and that he too had assured action, but in reality, nothing has been done on the ground so far. She also sought the help of my uttarakhand news in taking up the matter with the public and with the chief minister so that effective action could be initiated. She added that she would also raise the matter with the Chief Minister’s Office.
It may be recalled that the Dhela Range of Corbett National Park is the only section of the tiger reserve that remains open to tourists throughout the year, including during the monsoon season. Located about 20 km from Ramnagar, it is known for frequent tiger, leopard and bird sightings, besides its dense mixed forests. Two shifts of jeep safari are permitted in this range, with a maximum of 15 jeeps allowed per trip.