Balancing the need for connectivity versus protecting its wildlife residents, India has chosen to uphold the safety of its tigers. While it will continue to erect towers near big cat communities, it will prohibit the construction of cell towers in core or critical tiger habitats, reports Microsoft Start.
The country’s Environment Ministry has set up guidelines to help protect not just tigers, but other animals as well. The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife met with the Ministry to express its concerns about the potential encroachment of digital connectivity in areas frequented by wild animals.
An order issued by the Ministry stated that “the protection and conservation of wildlife habitats should not get affected” by communications installations. “The core/critical tiger habitat, notified under the Wildlife [Protection] Act, 1972, should be avoided” for both cell towers and fiber optic projects. While the focus is on core habitats, the corridors, buffer zone, and peripheral area also need to be safe for the animals, reports Microsoft Start.
“Installing mobile towers in core tiger habitats would mean laying power cables, deploying generator sets and movement of people which could disturb the wildlife,” stated Jose Louies, the chief of enforcement at the Wildlife Trust of India. “Mobile towers outside the tiger reserves also provide good connectivity.”
In addition to steering clear of tigers, the ministry also proclaimed that new cell towers in otherwise acceptable areas cannot be within one kilometer (.62 miles) of an existing cell tower. “If new towers are required to be built,” explained the ministry, “These should be erected with utmost care and precautions so as not to obstruct the flight path of birds, and also not to increase the combined radiations from all towers in the area.”
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