Stop ecotourism project in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, HYC tells Union Minister

The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), a pressure group in Meghalaya, has urged the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to stop the proposed ecotourism project in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Ri-Bhoi district. In a letter to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, the HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem expressed deep concern over the Rs 23.70 crore project being implemented by the Eco-Development Society of Meghalaya. The project reportedly includes the development of tourist dwelling places, glass skywalks, and even a water-sports arena within the sanctuary.

The Council highlighted the ecological significance of the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1981, emphasising its pristine value and its role as a vital habitat for a rich biodiversity. Synrem said that the sanctuary is home to over 50 species of mammals, including the Clouded Leopard, Leopard, Hoolock gibbon, Elephant, and Gaur, as well as 25 species of reptiles and numerous endangered fish and bird species. Moreover, he has also informed the Union Minister that several species within Meghalaya have been recorded for the first time within this area.

“National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries are legally protected areas crucial for biodiversity conservation and that any activities within them should only be considered under “most exceptional circumstances”, carefully assessing the potential impact on the area’s flora and fauna,” the HYC said. “Despite the ecological sensitivity of the area, the Eco-Development Society of Meghalaya has floated a tender worth Rs 23.70 crore to develop ecotourism infrastructure inside the sanctuary”, Synrem stated.

Synrem concerns comes as a reckoning that these developments would severely disrupt the sanctuary’s delicate ecosystem and the wildlife that depends on it for survival.

The HYC further raised concerns regarding the lack of mandatory approvals and cited Section 29 and the provision under Section 33 (a) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. “Prior approval from the State Board for Wildlife and the Standing Committee of the NBWL is required for any diversion of land or construction of commercial tourist facilities within a sanctuary”, it said. Moreover, the HYC president also referred to the 2002 Supreme Court directive that such proposals also necessitate the Supreme Court’s approval based on the NBWL’s recommendation.

Synrem stated that, to their knowledge, no such approvals have been obtained for the Nongkhyllem project. The HYC warned that the proposed tourism activities would severely impact the animals, birds, reptiles, and insects that rely on the sanctuary as a refuge, potentially leading to their death or displacement. They fear that the project could decimate the biodiversity of an area recognized as a global hotspot under the Eastern Himalayan Endemic Bird Area.

The HYC urgently appealed to the Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife) to immediately halt the “Eco Tourism Works” project and to withhold any permissions for tourism activities within and around the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary.

Team Maverick