Sariska villagers protest blocking of highway

JAIPUR: Shops and businessestablishments remained closed on Tuesday in Thana Gazi and other areas nearSariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district in protest against the proposed ban onmovement of heavy vehicles on the state highway No 13 connecting Jaipur toAlwar.The highway touches past the tiger reserve and therefore ithad been proposed that traffic be stopped on this route as it not only increasepollution but might also result in unwanted entry to the reserve, endangeringthe tigers.However, villagers of the area are apprehensive that thehalting of traffic might make a dent in their livelihood. According to ShaligramShaini, zilla parshad of Thana Gazi, "We have registered our protest with thedistrict authorities in the morning. If the road is harmful to the health ofanimals at the reserve then let the authorities build a flyover or a boundarywall or even an underground way but we will not allow to close thehighway."According to sources, the demonstrators tried to lock upthe district collectorate but were arrested. They were later released in theevening. "We were given an assurance in the evening that theconcerned authorities would meet within a couple of days and a decision would betaken. We will wait till that time but if nothing comes out, we will go aheadwith our protest," he said.In fact, the forest authorities havesuggested an alternative eight-km extra route from Alwar to Jaipur viaKushalgarh and Ghatabandol instead of the state highway 13 but with the issueas-suming political colours, authorities are not willing to use force to stopvehicles from plying on this road.But the protests have failed todampen the spirit of the forest authorities and all work for the relocation ofthe tigers is nearly complete. Teams from the Wildlife Institute of India, theNational Tiger Conservation Authority and officials of the state forestdepartment have been camping at Ranthambore."All work is on as perthe schedule. We have radio collared five animals so far���two female andthree male tigers. It is a combination of factors like health and behaviour ofthe animal that will decide which animal is airlifted on that day. We will nowbe getting in touch with the defence authorities for getting the helicopter andthe relocation should take place soon," said chief wild life warden RNMehrotra.Mehrotra added that two animals will be shifted to theSariska in quick succession and then after a period of time the third will beshifted. The entire project entails shifting of five animals over a period oftwo years from Ranthambore to Sariska.