IMPACT OF COAL MINING, THERMAL PLANTS, ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON WILDLIFE CORRIDORS FOR NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES IN THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA

Abstract

To the rampant rise in urban settlements and human population, the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and national tiger reserves of middle and southern India have been intruded upon by human settlements regularly. These are adjoined by paths called as ‘wildlife corridors’ especially the tiger and elephant corridors which are used as a means for migration. Bandipur and Pench-Satpuda national parks have one such essential pocket of wildlife corridors the Bandipur corridor interconnects the population of 8000 plus elephants between Mysuru and Wayanad in southern India whereas the Pench-Satpuda corridor sustains 120 plus tigers between Pench-Satpuda Tiger Reserve in middle India. To assess this it’s imperative to assess the pattern of wildlife movements, changes in the animal habitats in terms of habitat cluster zones, land-use changes, the onset of human settlements and anthropogenic activities are to be monitored. For this, land use land cover (LULC) changes for these corridors were analyzed across two decades using geospatial and remote sensing technique. The study finds a organized deprivation of dense forests and open forests respectively, thus indicating large-scale destruction. The study also found the net area changes of dense forests and open forests which were diverted for agriculture activities indicating extensive encroachment of forest land for human settlement. The classification was monitored for water bodies that have reduced, indicating shrinkage during the duration under research. The existence of substantial coal deposits in the wildlife corridor and operational coal mining in the proximity of the wildlife corridor is a matter of grave concern which has been highlighted in the research. We examine to identify long-term sustenance and protection of such corridors for preserving the natural habitat. Thus, with such suitability in wildlife monitoring, we can mark an increasing need for adaptable, tenable, and secure wildlife management as illustrated under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 15 mentioned under United Nations).