Supreme Court panel flags clearance to road in Rajaji reserve

A Supreme Court-appointed committee has questioned relaxations given for upgrade of a 4.7-km road in the buffer zone of Rajaji Tiger Reserve

What are the issues ?

Length of an elevated road for movement of animals was reduced to 400 metres from 1,410 metres
The height of the passage was also revised down to 6 metres from 8 metres

Recommendations of Authorities

National Tiger Conservation Authority has recommended elevated road length of 710M
But the report later jointly prepared by NTCA & Wildlife Institute of India has proposed 1410M elevated road.
The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is the apex agency to clear projects in and around protected areas.
According to NBWl, entire 4.7 km should be elevated as part of mitigation steps.

About Rajaji Tiger Reserve

Center Government notified Rajaji as 48th Tiger Reserve of India on 15th April 2015
It is the 2nd Tiger reserve of Uttarakhand (after Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve)
Rajaji Tiger Reserve inherited its name from the Rajaji Sanctuary
Rajaji Sanctuary was named after C. Rajagopalachari, lovingly known as Rajaji, the first Governor General of independent India
Forests of Rajaji include the Moist Shivalik Sal Forest, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous and Khair-Sissoo forests in the Southern Slopes, Low Alluviaval Savannah woodlands cover the drier southern margis of the Park.
The higher reaches of the Shivalik hills are swathered in Chir-Pine Forest.
More than 50 species of mammals including the highly endangered Asian Elephant and Tiger found in the Park.
Besides tiger, leopard, Himalayan Black bear, sloth bear, Civet, Marten, Jackal, Hyena etc also find their habitat in the park.