ITANAGAR, Nov 25: Capital based NGO Save Arunachal Save Indigenous (SASI) through a memorandum submitted to the Minister for Environment & Forest Mama Natung has demanded an immediate boundary rationalization of the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary and merger of the Dorpang Reserve Forest with it.
In its memorandum, the NGO claimed that the entire Itanagar Capital Region comes under the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary which was notified as Itanagar Reserve Forest on 2nd February 1978 and subsequently declared as "Sanctuary" on 14th June, 1978 under Section 18 of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 by the then Secretary (Forest), GoAP on behalf of the Lieutenant Governor. “If no rationalization measures are adopted, within a few years the remaining area of the sanctuary might be encroached completely. Therefore the state government should start the rationalization process through boundary demarcation of the revenue area along with the remaining area of the sanctuary,” the memorandum pointed out. SASI has also suggested the Minister to merge the Dorpang Reserve Forest with Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary and a complete ban on land allotment and implementation of big projects inside the said area. “The state government should stop further allotment of land within the jurisdiction of the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary specially the catchment areas of various water bodies like Senki River and Papu streams at Daria Hill till the rationalization process is completed,” the NGO urged in its memorandum.

Meanwhile, it has appealed to the Minister to come clear on Un-classed State Forest (USF) alleging that some private developers and Government Undertakings in collusion with some local leaders are hatching a conspiracy to snatch the lands of the indigenous people in the pretext of USF.
It is pertinent to mention that the Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Papum Pare district is one of the eight sanctuaries in the state covering an area of 140.30 sq km.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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