NEW DELHI: National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the apex body which takes calls on wildlife conservation issues, has given clearance to 11 proposals of the defence ministry to create strategic infrastructure, including telecom network and ammunition storage facility, for troops in protected areas in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
A note on the board’s decision, released on Thursday, shows that the approved proposals include setting up infantry battalion camp, post of the artillery regiment, Army signals mobile telecommunication tower, boat shed area, formation ammunition storage facility (FASF), and traffic control posts.
The NBWL’s standing committee, chaired by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, in its meeting last month allowed the construction of 10 facilities within the Changthang High Altitude Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and one in the Karakorum Nubra Shyok Wildlife Sanctuary at Turtuk Zangpal. One of the cleared proposals within the Changthang sanctuary is meant for construction and installation of a waste disposal and processing plant at Hanle village.
Both these sanctuaries are home to rare wildlife such as snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, Tibetan wild ass and Tibetan wolf, and a number of bird species. All the proposals have been cleared with certain conditions, under which the defence ministry will have to ensure that no harm is done to the landscape and comply with regulations to minimise the impact of projects on local habitats.
So far, the NBWL’s standing committee has approved 107 proposals, covering more than 2,967 hectares, in the Changthang sanctuary.