Dam Safety Act halts motorboat safari at Chuka ecotourism site in Pilibhit

Pilibhit: Authorities of the Sharda Sagar division have initiated action against ecotourism activities at Chuka, a popular tourist spot located on the banks of Sharda Sagar dam inside the core forest area of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), citing violations of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.As part of the action, two motorboats being used for water safaris were removed from the structural side of the dam. Officials warned that the boats would be confiscated if they were deployed again in the restricted zone.Explaining the move, Praveen Prakash Gautam, executive engineer of the Sharda Sagar division, said the Dam Safety Act prohibits all human activity within a 500-metre radius of the dam's periphery. "This includes construction of any structure, operation of mechanised boats or vehicles, use of generators, and any device that produces vibrations or noise," he said.Gautam said motorboats pose a serious threat to the safety of the earthen embankment. "The vibrations and wake generated by motorboats can damage the structure of the dam. These activities are also harmful to aquatic wildlife, several species of which are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act," he added.Sharda Sagar is a 22.2km-long earthen dam, with 17.2km falling in Pilibhit district and the remaining stretch in Uttarakhand. It is fed by an inlet canal from the Sharda river and supplies water for irrigation through an outlet canal. The dam's eastern side has a high earthen embankment reinforced with boulders, while its western side borders the forests of PTR and Uttarakhand's Terai East Forest Division.PTR was granted permission in 2018 to operate only manual boats using oars. However, officials alleged that the reserve later introduced motorboats and also set up a floating jetty at Chuka to boost tourism, in violation of the approved norms. Gautam said the department would now review all ecotourism-related activities at Chuka that conflict with the Dam Safety Act and take further action, including imposing a complete ban, if required.Responding to the issue, PTR divisional forest officer Manish Singh acknowledged that the motorboats had been allotted to an eco-development committee to support the livelihoods of its members, and that the boats were placed in a restricted area. However, he said the provisions of the Dam Safety Act were never formally shared with the forest department. "They did not hold joint meetings or discussions with us to decide on acceptable conditions," Singh said.Commenting on the dispute, senior advocate Satish Kumar Mishra said such situations arise due to poor coordination between departments. "The govt should facilitate meetings between all stakeholders and evolve a mutually accepted policy to avoid such conflicts in future," he said.