Achievements
- FOSEP opposed the construction of an airstrip at Tiger Hill in Senchel Wildlife Sanctuary. Mr. Bharat Prakash Rai raised his voice against the construction and lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MOEF&CC), Govt. of India, who took immediate action and banned such construction in the bio-diverse eco hot-spot of Tiger Hill in Darjeeling.
- FOSEP has since advocated a complete ban on construction of airports at sensitive hill spots in Darjeeling, with a view to protecting the water catchment and forest areas which are among some of the most vital lifelines of Darjeeling Hills in the Eastern Himalayas. FOSEP again successfully foiled the DGHC plan to construct a Helipad near Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) at the Raj Bhawan (Governer’s House) compound in Darjeeling, with the aim to save the environment conducive for successful breeding of the Red Panda and the Snow Leopard.
- FOSEP raised strong objection to shifting the belongings of the age-old Bengal Natural History Museum (BNHM) to the newly constructed building within the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) premises. Mr Bharat Prakash Rai in his capacity as the Convener of the Darjeeling Chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage) successfully mobilized public opinion against such ulterior motives of individuals & succeeded in halting the transfer of the museum’s ancient artifacts to the proposed ‘modern’ new building.
- The renowned JB Thapa or Brabourne Park located at Chowrasta in Darjeeling, represented one of the last few standing faces of Heritage structures, bearing testimony to the Hindu-Tibetan influence of architecture in the Eastern Himalayan region. All other similar parks in the town have lost its erstwhile glory & have been reduced to mere crowded encroachments of mushrooming concrete structures. FOSEP effectively mobilized public opinion against the ‘beautification’ project and intervened at a crucial time when more than 13 trees were earmarked for felling for the project. Mr Rai registered a legal case in the High Court in Kolkata praying for stay order against such felling of the trees. Such timely stay order of the Hon’ble High Court saved the age-old trees from being cut down.
- Unlawful tree-felling and poaching had been continuing since 1998 in the Singalila National Park of Darjeeling. FOSEP took a brave step to refer the case to the Green bench of the Honorable Calcutta high Court so that the culprits are brought to book and no such things recur in future. This step stopped culprits from repeating the mistake again.
- With the avowed objective to save the world famous Singalila National Park of Darjeeling from ruin by unscrupulous elements, FOSEP took the initiative to constitute the “Singalila Paryavaran Suraksha Samity” on 26th January 2000 comprised of inhabitants of both India and Nepal. Several meetings were held subsequently to chalk out strategies to save the National Park and develop it further.
- FOSEP made a hue cry against illegal quarrying of boulders and gravels by unscrupulous elements at Rimbick, Lodhoma, Rungbull and other places and asked the P.W.D. authority at Darjeeling to stop such environment damaging activity. On a visit to Rimbick, FOSEP found that quarrying was adversely affecting the watershed area of the river Raman and huge Hydroelectric Installation there at. The amount of damage caused to the environment and negligence on the part of the authority was so obvious and colossal that the matter had to be referred to the Green Bench of the Honorable Calcutta High Court whose representatives also personally visited the site in question. The case in the High Court is in progress and the culprits are being summoned from time to time for hearing.
- Jorepokhari near Darjeeling is the traditional home of rare breed of amphibian – the Salamander or the Himalayan Newt. As the concept of conservation of rare plants and animals has not yet been incorporated into developmental planning in Darjeeling Hills, the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council blindly constructed a Tourist Resort and a temple at Jorepokhari destroying the Salamander habitat forever in violation of National Conservation Act. FOSEP lost no time to rise to the occasion but even the Central Government of India failed to come to the rescue of the dying Salamander.
