Ranjha (Banke), Sept 4: Wildlife conservationists and people's representatives of Banke and Bardia have called for developing highway structures wildlife-friendly.
They have demanded taking into
consideration all stakeholders while constructing structures, including the
East-West Highway and postal roads as the infrastructure development carried
out without taking into account the wildlife, environment and climate
adaptation would not be sustainable.
Minister for Forest and Environment
of Lumbini Province, Badshah Kurmi stressed on the promotion of
wildlife-friendly infrastructure noting it human duty to protect wildlife.
Division Forest Office Bardia Chief
Bijaya Raj Subedi commented the roads constructed in the name of development
along the forest area were causing problems to wildlife. He claimed that
human-wildlife conflict was on the rise due to the current trend of
constructing several roads to reach the same village.
Banke National Park Chief Manoj Sah
stressed on the promotion of wildlife-friendly infrastructure in Nepal for
sustainable development. "Wildlife conservationists are not
anti-development, but advocate of wildlife-friendly infrastructure
development," he said, adding, "Wildlife is not allowed to move freely
due to indiscriminate construction of road structures, so human-wildlife
conflict has increased."
Bardia National Park Chief Dr Ashok
Kumar Ram spoke the need of arrangements for smooth movement of wildlife not
only in the park but also in the structures to be built in the forest
area.
He said that sustainable
development would be possible only if the infrastructure were built keeping in
mind all aspects as haphazard construction of infrastructure would have a
direct impact on social, economic and environment. (RSS)