The corridor was also endorsed by the chief wildlife warden of Uttarakhand and the Project Elephant Directorate under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

However, ignoring the scientific rationale, the Uttarakhand forest department allowed large-scale infrastructure development in this corridor and encroachment in this area has further aggravated the problem, the statement added.

Concerned by the loss of this corridor in the Terai Arc Landscape, the MoEF convened an meeting with the stakeholders Wednesday to discuss the status of this problem.

At a follow-up meeting here Friday, the Corbett Foundation, Wildlife Protection Society of India, WTI and WWF-India decided that this issue will have to be tackled with a great sense of urgency.

The representatives of the four NGOs plan to join a team from the MoEF for a site visit with Uttarakhand forest officials to assess the ground situation. The team will then come up with a joint report on the mitigation measures.