Imkong Walling
Dimapur | June 5
Trouble is brewing yet again at Nagaland Zoological Park, Rangapahar as settlers armed with a court judgment have started erecting residential structures along the outer periphery of the state’s only zoological park. All thatched dwellings, construction of the settlement begun about two weeks back. The structures numbering around 11-12 are coming up all along the narrow strip of barren land that comes between the road leading to Ganeshnagar industrial village and the Park’s eastern boundary.
Park officials said that the settlers had recently petitioned the session court, Dimapur pleading for an ‘ad interim order’ with regard to the said portion of land as, according to the petitioners; it does not belong to the department of Forests. The judgment came in the petitioners favour. An excerpt of the judgment dated April 24, 2012 read: “… the petitioner’s prayer is allowed with a condition that the Petitioner shall not develop any permanent construction on the said Schedule ‘B’ land till disposal of this suit.” The portion of land where the constructions are presently coming up are said to be the “Schedule ‘B’” land.
It appears that the settlers have circumvented the clause that came with the judgment to their advantage by erecting temporary thatched structures. The disputed portion of land, according to the park officials was originally set aside for “beautification” projects in future and to leave ample space for widening of the adjoining road, if plans so arise in future.
Now, pinned to the corner, the department has started proceedings to challenge the lower court order in the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court. In the meantime, or till such time the case is heard in the higher court, all that the department can do is watch from the sidelines the hectic construction activities. Prior to the latest court order, the petitioners beginning 2009 had on a number of occasions petitioned the court eventually losing out.
The erstwhile Rangapahar reserve forest, at its inception in 1924, was an expansive 21, 768 acres of untouched, virgin forest. Under threat from human activity and on the brink of extinction it was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1986. That time it measured 470 hectares, now reduced to a mere park measuring 176 hectares in area. The little that remains is also under threat.
“We Nagas have to save it.” The guards and the department are doing whatever it can but a collective effort inclusive of the government, the civil society – everyone, is paramount, a Park official said. The civil society, the NGOs and individuals alike over the years have pledged to protect the Park from extinction. It has come to naught, it appears.
A conglomeration of civil organizations had on two occasions strongly resolved to support the government to help protect, preserve and promote the Park. The first was on September 16, 2005 followed by another on April 28, 2008 at a public consultative meeting held in Kohima.
There were 48 signatories to the 2005 resolution, which included apex civil organizations like the Naga Hoho, NSF, NMA, Naga Council Dimapur, DNSU, Naga Women Hoho Dimapur besides several others; municipal councilors and even people in individual capacity. The second consultative meeting resolved to uphold and reaffirm the earlier resolution while extending unconditional support to the department of Forests in its effort to preserve the Park. Forty-seven signatories representing a number of apex tribal bodies within the Naga realm, aside from top department officials were party to the second resolution.
“However the sad fact is that there are still some parties trying to encroach upon the land inside the park… The Forest Department staff posted for the protection of the Park are being threatened, manhandled while discharging bonafide Government duties. On 7th October 2009, a Forester was assaulted and abducted and later released after several hours… similar incidences of assault on staff on duty have also taken place,” states the department in an appeal to the public published following the aforementioned resolutions.
