Valmikinagar-Madanpur Road under construction. Pictures by Prerna S Bindra

Patna, Feb. 7: Progress is fine till it doesn’t hurt anybody. The state road construction department allegedly did not take this into count while widening the Valmikinagar-Madanpur road, exposing animals of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) to speeding vehicles.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has sought details from the chief wildlife warden of Bihar about the reported widening of the road, a part of which passes through the VTR. The matter was brought to the notice of NTCA by Prerna Singh Bindra, a member of the National Board of Wildlife, during her visit to VTR in December last year. Bindra had noticed the work being carried out.

“According to the rules, even repair work of the roads passing through protected areas cannot be undertaken without the permission of the board. In this case, the road has been widened considerably without seeking the mandatory clearance,” Bindra told The Telegraph over phone from Delhi.

Bindra said: “My question to the state is how the road was being repaired and widened without the mandatory clearance? Is the state not serious and sensitive about the sanctity of its only tiger reserve? This issue must be taken seriously because of a number of factors, such as a canal, human settlements and the road in the reserve, breaks the tenuous link to its western tip, Madanpur.”

The road-widening work has been stopped for now. But VTR officials said the authorities engaged in the road construction work were not inclined to stop it initially when their attention was drawn towards the rules. They stopped only after senior officials intervened in the matter.

A VTR official said around 17km of the 28km-long Valmikinagar-Madanpur road passes through the reserve. “Widening of about 15km of the stretch passing through the VTR was complete when the work was stopped,” he added.

The official said widening of the road could prove to be a bane for the animals of the reserve, as vehicles would now pass at higher speed.

A forest department source said the road construction department cited the government’s decision of 1961-62 when the land was transferred to the road department for construction. VTR was notified much later, in the year 1989-90, leading to the confusion.

The Valmikinagar-Madanpur road apart, the construction work on Gaunaha-Bkhikhnathori road, around 4km stretch of which passes through the Manguraha range of the VTR, was also started. It took special efforts from the VTR field officials to stop work on it.

Bihar chief wildlife warden Mithilesh Kumar said: “Necessary steps have been taken and the road construction work within the reserve area has been stopped.”

Kumar, however, claimed he had not received any letter from NTCA.

When the attention of the state road construction department minister Nand Kishore Yadav was drawn towards the issue, he said: “I will look into the matter. I will also ensure that rules are adhered to at any cost.”