Assam: Vedanta’s Oil And Gas Exploration In Hoolock Gibbon Habitat Gets In-Principle Approval

GUWAHATI: The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given an in-principle approval to Vedanta’s Cairn Oil and Gas proposal for oil and gas exploration drilling on 4.49 hectares in eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, home to the endangered Hoolock Gibbon.

The FAC’s in-principle nod, also known as Stage-I clearance, comes after Assam’s principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden recommended the approval of the project.

The panel held a meeting on August 27 to take note of the fact that the chief wildlife warden, Assam, and the regional office of the Union environment ministry had recommended clearance for the project.

The chief wildlife warden had found that the project site is situated in the ESZ of Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Jorhat, highlighting the significant movement of wild elephants in the area connecting the sanctuary and Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest. 

A wildlife conservation plan and human-animal conflict management plan was submitted to the FAC by the chief wildlife warden and Rs 5.57 crore has been earmarked for implementing them.

proposed measures such as the planting of native species, the erection of wildlife protection signages, awareness programmes, and consultation with local stakeholders for Hoolock Gibbon conservation has been proposed under the conservation plan.

The threat of qualitative loss of habitats, fragmentation of habitats, poaching and unscientific plantation looms large for theseendangered ape species.

It is worth mentioning that the Gibbon sanctuary is spread over 21 sq km in Jorhat and houses around 125 Hoolock Gibbon living in more than two dozen family groups, according to a 2023 Wildlife Institute of India study. 

According to the study over time, the sanctuary has become a ‘forest island’ having lost connectivity with surrounding forest patches.

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