Indian Express: Bangalore: Wednesday, 11 February 2015.
An 8-km-long guard wall on National Highway-13 that passes through the
heart of Kudremukh National Park has sounded the death knell for wild animals
in this biodiversity rich region, wildlife activists have claimed.
The four-foot-high wall along Maala gate, S K
border and Tanilkodu check-post has come up in a region that is home to the
endangered lion-tailed macaques, tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs, mouse
deer, king cobras, pythons and several endemic species of frogs.
Wildlife activists, who are demanding the demolition
of the wall, say it severely restricts free movement of animals. Washing its
hands off the issue, the Forest Department has claimed that it is not aware of
such a wall and denied giving any permission for its construction. The Public Works Department, which built the
wall, said there is no need to get any permission for such works, even though
the highway passes through the national park.
However, the activists claimed that they have
accessed documents pertaining to this project under Right to Information (RTI)
which reveal that the Forest Department had given the permission in
January/February 2014, only after the project was completed in December 2013.
According to the Executive Engineer, National
Highway Division, State Public Works, Ports and Inland Water Transport
Department, Mangaluru, no permission was sought from the Forest Department for
repair, improvement or development of civil works along NH-13. The work was taken up in 2013 under the right of way of the national highway and the issue of
encroachment of forest land did not arise in any way.
Interestingly, the RTI documents reveal that the
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife, in two letters
addressed to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Kudremukh Wildlife
Division, on January 25 and February 7, 2014, had given permission for the construction of a guard wall inside the
national park on the condition (set out in the second letter) that its height
does not exceed 2.5 feet.
Wildlife activist Theertha Prasad and others have
been opposing the construction of this wall for the last 18 months and have submitted a
petition in this regard to the PCCF. Prasad said, “Because of the dereliction
of duty by officers in the park, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
has built the massive guard wall. It is turning this highway stretch into a
nightmare for wildlife.”
The wall has been constructed in violation of the
Wildlife Act as the highway passes through thick forest zones in Karkala and
Kerekatte, said wildlife activist G Veeresh.
He said, “In spite of the media highlighting the
disastrous effects of the wall in 2013, forest officials have remained silent spectators.”
“Why did the department grant permission in 2014 for the work completed in 2013? Why did the Forest Department not stop the work that was being built without
permission in 2013 itself? The public are skeptical about all these aspects and the forest
department should answer these questions,” Veeresh said. Former State Wildlife
Board member Girija Shankar said even though this guard wall was constructed in
broad daylight in Kerekatte and Karkala wildlife range, the Forest Department
officials remained mute spectators. The issue was highlighted repeatedly and
objections were raised by locals through letters to authorities, who turned a
blind eye.
“When the PWD says there is no need to get
permission from the Forest Department for such works, then why did the PCCF
give permission? Though the work started in August and was completed in
December 2013, why did the PCCF give permission for the same in 2014? Are permissions given
before the work or after the work?” Prasad asked.
Ramesh Kumar, DCF of Koppa division, said NHAI
officials took up re-laying of damaged guard walls in 2013, but the Forest Department
objected and stopped the work.
After five months, the PCCF granted permission on
the condition that the wall should not be over 2.5 feet high. The guard walls
are a safety measure for vehicles passing on the highway as there are deep
gorges along the sides, and environmentalists are simply making it a big issue,
he said.
PCCF Claims No Permission Given
According to PCCF (Wildlife) Vinay Luthra, the
Forest Department has not given any permission to build a guard wall in the
Kudremukh National Park.
“I am not aware of the existence of any guard wall
in this region and I have not given any permission. Further, NHAI does not need
any permission for taking up maintenance or development works on their highway,
but guard walls cannot be built,” he said.
Regarding the permission given on January 25 and February 7, Luthra said, “As far as I remember, I have not given permission, but I
will definitely look into the matter.”
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