Hey folks, sorry it has been so long, I promise that I’ll updat this site more regularly in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here is a great interview with Dr. Rajesh Gopal, the Head of India’s National Tigier Conservation Authority…
I think one of the most intersting bits is when he talks about industrial development….
‘There is constant pressure to open up tiger habitat to mining, highways.
To my mind, heavy infrastructural and development projects in tiger habitat is the most serious threat. Tiger areas are rich in minerals — coal, uranium, bauxite — so there is demand for mining in buffers and corridors. The Tadoba landscape is totally tattered because of coal mining — and still there are some 40 more power and coal projects proposed. NH-7 threatens to cut the connectivity of Pench tiger reserve with Kanha, and. In Nagarjuna-Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh), there is pressure for quarrying and mining for uranium. It’s endless… We can’t give these areas. This is not an office for clearance — our mandate is to conserve. We have mapped crucial tiger habitats and their connectivity in the 17 tiger states — these are no-go areas and are already very fragile. We cannot afford to stress these habitats further by mines, roads or any such damaging development activities, if we want a future for the tiger. There cannot be any clearances in these areas’…
http://indianaturally.blogspot.com/2010/06/interview-with-dr-rajesh-gopal.html
