BENGALURU: The State Wildlife Board has recommended the Sharavathi underground pumped project to the Centre for undertaking a survey and a geotechnical investigation in 877.507 hectares of forest land amidst protests from environmentalists.
The board has proposed 15 bore hole points out of which 12 of them fall under the Sharavathy Valley Lion Tailed Macaque Sanctuary. The remaining three fall under the non-forest areas.
The Additional Chief Secretary to the government (Dept. of Forest) had in a copy of the letter dated Jan. 2018 to the Ministry of Forest sought exemption for the power project even though the project site came under the eco-sensitive zone as per the draft final notification then.
Sources say, remarks of the chief wildlife warden were never sought before the letter was shot to the ministry. In the last one year, the forest department has taken a diametrically opposite stance on extending approval to the KPCL for carrying out survey and investigation in the ecologically fragile area.
Official papers accessed by Deccan Chronicle reveal that even though Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sagar division, did not recommend permission to carry out survey and geotechnical investigation works in Kargal territorial range of Sagar division, the Chief Conservator of Forest, Shimoga circle, on January 9 gave clearance to the project saying that the user agency would not fell any trees. Also, the project involved the formation of road inside the forest for which clearance was required.
Former forest officers who have served in the region say the valley is home for rare species like Lion-tailed Macaque and Deccan Mahseer which are living on the edge. Also, an elephant corridor runs just 4 km from the proposed site of the project.
Indian Institute of Science researchers say 30% of forests have dwindled in the past 40 years in the Uttara Kannada district. One of the whistleblowers in the forest department said the state that has been reeling under severe water scarcity should reject the project.
Experts say that the underground power project would defeat the purpose of extending the sanctuary’s boundary.
