Guwahati: The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has granted approval for the installation of mobile towers within the core area of Namdapha Tiger Reserve, along the Miao-Vijaynagar road, to improve connectivity along the Indo-Myanmar border. This approval was granted as an “exceptional” case.
The mobile towers, aimed at providing 4G services, are set to be installed at six locations on ridges along the Miao-Vijaynagar road. The Chief Wildlife Warden of Arunachal Pradesh informed the NBWL that the villages at Vijaynagar and Namdapha are connected by road only through the Namdapha Tiger Reserve, necessitating the installation of mobile towers to enhance communication.
The issue was first discussed during the 79th meeting of the Standing Committee, during which it was decided that the proposal required reexamination and was deferred to the next meeting.
Dr. R. Sukumar, a member of the National Board for Wildlife, addressed the committee, emphasizing that this road is the sole connection for the villages. He also noted that the Standing Committee had previously approved road improvements in the same area. Dr. Sukumar recommended that mobile tower installations be considered on a case-by-case basis, and in this instance, he urged the committee to approve the towers due to the necessity of providing mobile connectivity along the 160-kilometre road.
Initially, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) refused permission for the project. However, during the 80th meeting of the Standing Committee, the chairman advised that while the general principle is to avoid the installation of mobile towers in core areas of tiger reserves, exceptions can be made in special cases where connectivity in remote areas along international borders is crucial and no other alternatives are available.
The Standing Committee eventually granted approval for the mobile towers, acknowledging that the projects are located near the international border and that alternative means of communication are unavailable along this stretch of road. The committee stressed that this approval should not set a precedent for future proposals involving the installation of mobile towers in core tiger reserve zones.
The permission came with specific conditions, including the use of only solar power and/or silent generators for operating the towers. The erection of electric cables, wires, or transmission lines through the sanctuary is strictly prohibited. The towers must also be constructed with utmost care to avoid obstructing bird flight paths and to ensure that combined radiation levels from all towers in the area remain minimal. To prevent overlapping high-radiation fields, no new towers can be installed within a one-kilometre radius of existing towers.
During construction, the User Agency is prohibited from destroying or altering wildlife habitats in the sanctuary.
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