<p>A unique concept of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has helped restore the 25-km wildlife corridor, which was disrupted by a 220 KVA power transmission line, in the Kudremukh National Park.<br /><br />The ‘conservation swap’ concept initiated by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the MoEF and the State Forest department led the State government to physically dismantle the Kemmar-Kudremukh line on April 17, paving the way for the restoration of the corridor. <br /><br />The transmission line was originally supporting the now defunct Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL)’s mining operations, shut down by the Supreme Court in response to a litigation by local wildlife conservation groups.<br /><br />According to a press statement by the Wildlife Conservation Society-India (WCS-I), the State government had sought forest clearance from the FAC in early 2010 for permitting a power line to evacuate power from the thermal power plant of the Udupi Power Corporation (UPC) at Nandikur. </p>.<p>As the proposed 400 KVA power line cuts through an 8.3-km stretch of critical evergreen forest corridor in Balur State forest of Chikmagalur district, a field inspection of the ecological impact was conducted by an FAC expert committee comprising K Ullas Karanth, Director, WCS-I and A J T Johnsingh, retired dean of the Wildlife Institute of India. <br /><br />Based on the ecological analysis, FAC proposed the 'conservation swap' scheme for the first time in India. <br /><br />They recom mended that to compensate for the loss of the 8.3-km wildlife corridor because of the power line, the State government must dismantle an existing 25-km power transmission line passing through Kudremukh National Park. </p>.<p>However, due to the delays caused by KIOCL, this recommendation was not implemented initially. <br /><br />Moreover, construction of the new power line had started. This led to protests by local wildlife groups. <br /><br />The State government gave an undertaking to the FAC that the existing power line through Kudremukh would be dismantled, before the UPC transmission line got commissioned.<br /><br />Finally, on April 17, the physical dismantling of the Kemmar-Kudremukh power line began, after alternative power was provided to a few affected villages on the eastern edge of the park. </p>
<p>A unique concept of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has helped restore the 25-km wildlife corridor, which was disrupted by a 220 KVA power transmission line, in the Kudremukh National Park.<br /><br />The ‘conservation swap’ concept initiated by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the MoEF and the State Forest department led the State government to physically dismantle the Kemmar-Kudremukh line on April 17, paving the way for the restoration of the corridor. <br /><br />The transmission line was originally supporting the now defunct Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL)’s mining operations, shut down by the Supreme Court in response to a litigation by local wildlife conservation groups.<br /><br />According to a press statement by the Wildlife Conservation Society-India (WCS-I), the State government had sought forest clearance from the FAC in early 2010 for permitting a power line to evacuate power from the thermal power plant of the Udupi Power Corporation (UPC) at Nandikur. </p>.<p>As the proposed 400 KVA power line cuts through an 8.3-km stretch of critical evergreen forest corridor in Balur State forest of Chikmagalur district, a field inspection of the ecological impact was conducted by an FAC expert committee comprising K Ullas Karanth, Director, WCS-I and A J T Johnsingh, retired dean of the Wildlife Institute of India. <br /><br />Based on the ecological analysis, FAC proposed the 'conservation swap' scheme for the first time in India. <br /><br />They recom mended that to compensate for the loss of the 8.3-km wildlife corridor because of the power line, the State government must dismantle an existing 25-km power transmission line passing through Kudremukh National Park. </p>.<p>However, due to the delays caused by KIOCL, this recommendation was not implemented initially. <br /><br />Moreover, construction of the new power line had started. This led to protests by local wildlife groups. <br /><br />The State government gave an undertaking to the FAC that the existing power line through Kudremukh would be dismantled, before the UPC transmission line got commissioned.<br /><br />Finally, on April 17, the physical dismantling of the Kemmar-Kudremukh power line began, after alternative power was provided to a few affected villages on the eastern edge of the park. </p>
