Locals intensify agitation in Sattal, take it too online | India News


NAINITAL: Locals and environmentalists have stepped up their protests against the Sattal ‘redevelopment’ project – an interconnected group of seven lakes located a few kilometers from Nainital – with much opposition to the ‘making of an ecological paradise’.
Sattal’s redevelopment plan calls for the construction of a children’s park, a viewpoint, in addition to beautification and landscaping work. But locals say any construction in the fragile area would harm its rich biodiversity. Last week, as work on the project officially began, residents launched storms on Twitter with photos of an earthmover beside the crystal-clear waters of Lake Sattal.
An electronic petition to declare Sattal a “conservation reserve” also collected 32,000 signs while a website was set up to “save Sattal”. The area is renowned for its bird watching and is one of the few breeding grounds for the endangered mahseer fish. It is also one of the last oak forests in Uttarakhand.
“The area has a large number of leopards, birds, reptiles, fish as well as significant vegetative diversification. Realization will destroy everything, ”said Asheesh Bisht, assistant professor at Kumaun University. Aagnay Budhraj, a resident of Sattal who started the online petition, said the population had not been consulted by the government. “We don’t want a permanent structure in this area. The administration must find a solution. he said.