Environment Ministry panel's nod to IAF proposal for radar in HP

NEW DELHI: The IAF has got green signal from an Environment Ministry panel to set up a radar in a forest land falling in a wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh.

Standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has "unanimously agreed" to recommend the IAF proposal seeking diversion of 0.165 hectares of forest land falling in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary to deploy the radar, official sources said.

The panel has also given nod to extend existing Lakarmandi-Dainkund Road (Dalhousie) by 500 m in favour of chief administrative officer, Air Force Station located in Dalhousie, they said.

According to officials, the proposal was to enhance the air defence capabilities towards eastern and western region to "facilitate deep scanning" by deploying a radar in the area located in Air Force Station, Dainkund (Dalhousie).

The IAF submitted that an area on top of the hill is found to be most suitable to deploy the radar.

Incidentally, the area falls inside the technical campus at the Air Force Station, sources said.

While revenue record says the land is forest land having ownership of Himachal Pradesh government and tenancy with state Forest Department, the physical possession of the land is with Air Force since 1973, the sources said.

No felling of trees was involved in the proposal, they added.