From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Shillong MP Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon on Tuesday urged the Centre to advise the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to divert its proposed greenfield NH-6 corridor, completely bypassing the Experimental Botanical Garden of Botanical Survey of India (BSI) at Umiam which is a unique gene sanctuary and a research-education hub of the country.
In a letter, Syngkon sought the urgent intervention of Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, highlighting that the garden, which will be seriously affected by the road project, is known for its extraordinary biodiversity and range of plant groups and life-forms it conserves.
Developed over more than five decades by BSI scientists, with collections drawn from across the country, the garden is widely recognised as one of India’s best-maintained and richest plant conservatories.
The garden is a green sanctuary of flora and fauna, housing over 1,200 species including a significant number of endemic, endangered and threatened species from the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot.
Many of the species maintained here are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act. The garden supports diverse faunal groups – birds, reptiles, insects and small mammals, some of which fall under various Schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
“The garden serves as a living classroom for students and local communities, and is a valuable field laboratory for researchers from India and abroad,” Syngkon said.
It has played an important role in India’s biodiversity conservation efforts through conservation, propagation, distribution and field plantation of native species.
Syngkon urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to advise the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and the NHIDCL to adopt an alternative alignment for the greenfield corridor.
“While the importance of connectivity and economic development is fully acknowledged, the irreversible loss or fragmentation of such a unique, 50-year-old conservation asset would be vastly disproportionate to the marginal benefit of routing a portion of the highway through this area,” the MP said.
“There should be adequate consultation with the stakeholders about the ecological, scientific and educational costs which far outweigh any short-term gains from the present alignment,” he said.
He insisted that before the acquisition of land for the road project, there should be close consultation with BSI, the National Biodiversity Authority and other expert bodies, with a view to according the highest possible protection to this site.
