After former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi objected to the setting up of a bird aviary in Chandigarh, the authorities on Tuesday said there was no illegality involved in the exotic aviary bird project.
Responding to the letter of Animal Rights activist Maneka Gandhi to UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore objecting to the proposed exotic bird aviary near Sukhna Lake terming it as illegal, the UT Chief Conservator of Forests Debendra Dalai said that there is no illegality involved in the project. This project will be completed within 15 days and everything is being done by keeping in mind the law of the land.
Talking to The Pioneer, Dalai said that the apprehension raised is completely baseless, imaginary and with ulterior motive. All legal aspects had been taken care of in regard to the aviary. There is no violation of any Acts and rules and no guidelines have been violated.
UT Administrator had given his nod for the construction of Nagar Van and bird aviary for exotic birds in January, 2019. The construction work of the aviary costs around Rs 3.65 crore.
In the letter, Maneka Gandhi wrote: “It had been brought to her notice that the UT Administration had brought out a tender to buy 1,500 rare exotic birds for a walk-in aviary at Nagar Van (city forest) near Sukhna Lake. This is illegal. No one is allowed to sell birds in this country and sellers are regularly caught and jailed. Many of these birds are not bred in India but smuggled from other countries where these are becoming increasingly rare.â€
When asked whether Wildlife Department had sought permission from Zoo Authority of India (ZAI) for building exotic bird aviary as all collection of animals or birds for public display come under the title of zoo and no zoo can be started in the country without the permission of the Central Zoo authority, Dalai said that there is no need to seek permission from ZAI as Indian birds will not be kept there.
Asked that in the letter it was mentioned that since the sale of these birds is illegal and there is no open market and no fixed price for them, Dalai said, “We are not purchasing it from the open market but only from known sources.â€
Sources said that regarding this issue, Gandhi had spoken to the Governor's ADC, to the Central Zoo Authority and the bureaucrat in charge of wildlife in the Government of India.
When contacted RK Garg, president of Second Innings Association said, “Caging of birds is against the directions issued by Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and various high courts and the Supreme Court, but the Chandigarh Forest and wildlife department is making cages to cage 1,500 birds. There are questions asked about the purchase of birds from the open market through a tender.â€
Garg alleged that several questions regarding building of exotic bird aviary project were asked through the Right to Information (RTI) Act to the department of Forests & Wildlife, Chandigarh but no appropriate answers were given. The concerned should not hide such information, he added.
Moreover, Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) on Tuesday wrote a letter to UT Chandigarh Administration stating, a Central team should be deputed to look into all procedures adopted and implementation of all directions issued by the office and PCA Act 1960. The procedure followed for purchase of rare birds and standard operating system for such purchases may also be looked into to ensure strict implementation. The whole project may be reviewed as it seems that necessary clearance has not been sought and got from AWBI, it stated.
