Indian Express: Bengaluru: Sunday, July 08, 2018.
Collating
details about the ongoing projects through RTI Act and other sources, green
activists have estimated heavy loss of precious and pristine tree cover in the
Western Ghats.
About 7.35
lakh trees may be cut down for upcoming highway projects in Karnataka with most
of them in the Western Ghats region a biodiversity hotspot. This estimate is
according to data in RTI documents, official estimates and field survey done of
the project area by experts and NGOs.
Most of these
National Highway projects are in various stages with some cleared or in the
process of getting environmental clearance.
Meanwhile,
the state government was recently slapped with a fine of `50,000 for failing to
file information on tree felling for highways projects and compensatory
afforestation to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The state government has to
submit these details to the tribunal by July 10.
Collating
details about the ongoing projects through RTI Act and other sources, green
activists have estimated heavy loss of precious and pristine tree cover in the
Western Ghats and the serious consequences on rainfall pattern and climate in
the state.
Sahadev
Shivapura of Paschima Ghatta Jaagruta Vedike says, The “Western Ghats is
considered one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world... more than one
lakh trees have already been chopped down in the last 2-3 years for various
ongoing projects. The seven districts of Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Hassan,
Chikkamagaluru , Shivamogga, Uttara
Kannada and Belagavi are the worst affected. Even coastal districts of Udupi
and Dakshina Kannada that border Western Ghats will lose precious
biodiversity.”
According to
a rough official estimate, for ongoing highway-widening projects, 52,000 trees
have already been felled. This includes NH 75 (13,500 trees), NH 13 (500) and
NH 4A (38,000). P8
However, no
details are available on the number of trees being felled in Shiradi Ghat for
the Bengaluru-Mangaluru highway project.
Meanwhile, Malenadu activist Sriharsha Hegde says that
irreparable damage has been done to the carbon sink in Shivamogga,
Chikkamagaluru and other districts.
He adds, “The tree-felling list is very
long... Tirthahalli-Shivamogga widening resulted in loss of 1,000 trees, while
Tirthahalli-Hosangadi widening resulted loss of 500 trees. Sagar-Honnavar road
widening took down 4,000 trees.”
Activists
further add there has been immense loss in tree cover from other projects such
as high-tension
power lines,
and irrigation projects both Yettinahole and Tunga Lift irrigation projects -
among others.
In fact, the
400 KV High Tension Power Line from
Mysuru to
Kozhikode has resulted in chopping of 54,000 trees in Kodagu, while the
government has been claiming loss of only 8,000 trees, says Sundar Muthana of
Coorg Wildlife Society.