Mirzapur Forest Faces Threat Amid Development Plans

 Amidst escalating environmental concerns, activists have raised alarms over extensive vegetation clearance and infrastructure development in the Dadri Khurd area of Marihan Range within Mirzapur Forest Division, Uttar Pradesh. The contentious activities, involving heavy machinery and road construction, are reportedly unfolding in an area earmarked for potential forest notification since 1952.

According to environmentalists, the land in question, classified as deemed forest, is currently at risk of being repurposed for a thermal power project linked to an entity within the Adani Group. This contentious move follows exemptions granted under the recent Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 2023, which excludes unrecorded deemed forests from stringent protection measures, thereby enabling their diversion for various infrastructure ventures. The Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation (VENHF) recently brought these violations to the attention of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, citing breaches of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and Environment (Protection) Act 1986. The foundation highlighted the critical ecological significance of the Marihan Range, slated for the proposed Sloth Bear Conservation Reserve and renowned for its diverse wildlife.

VENHF’s extensive surveys between 2016 and 2018 documented a plethora of species inhabiting the area, including Sloth Bears, Leopards, Bengal Foxes, and endangered Mugger Crocodiles. The region also serves as a sanctuary for avian species such as the Red-headed Vulture and Indian Courser, alongside several migratory and endemic birds. In response to these developments, the foundation reiterated the urgent need for preserving the Vindhyan-Kaimoor ecosystem’s unique biodiversity. It underscored the area’s status as a vital habitat for over 24 terrestrial animals listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, emphasizing the need for immediate intervention to safeguard its ecological integrity.