Illegal unit threat to sanctuary

A major stone crushing unit located bang near the boundary of the Kalesar wildlife sanctuary in Yamunanagar, functioning day in and day out, has made the forest department sit back and take a note.

Since it was illegal to run such activities in a kilometre area of the sanctuary, as the same affected the wildlife habitat, the department has decided to slap a notice on the unit, namely, Anant stone crusher, which was located near village Arrayianwala there.

The chief conservator of forest, Ambala forest protection wing, northern zone, PP Bhojvaid told HT that he had already asked the district administration as well as his divisional forest officer Rajesh Guliya not to allow crushing operations within 1 km of the said sanctuary. “Stone crushing activity cannot be allowed within 1 km area of even a notified forest, leave aside wildlife sanctuary,” he added.

Also, the senior officials of the wildlife wing said that though they were worried about the damage being caused to the wildlife, they could not do anything till the approval of the Union environment ministry.

According to them, when notified, the said zone draft would enable the wildlife officials too to act against such activities, besides the forest territorial staff.