Minister promises to scrutinise Mahadayi project
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh told the Rajya Sabha on Monday that projects in the vicinity of ecologically sensitive areas or a wildlife sanctuary would have to adhere to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and the Mahadayi project in Karnataka ''will be no exception''.
Goa MP Shantaram Naik who raised the matter in the House told Deccan Herald that he was arguing for the union ministry to halt the Karnataka project for violating environmental regulations, particularly since Bhimgad had been declared a wildlife sanctuary. The project is close to the sanctuary, Naik said.
Ramesh said it is his ministry’s policy that “any project which comes to us for approval, which is in the vicinity of an ecological sensitive area or a wildlife sanctuary, we look at it according to the rules and regulations of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and I am sure, the Mahadayi project also will be no exception in this regard”.
The Karnataka government notified 13,000 hectares of Bhimgad forest in Belgaum as a wildlife sanctuary on February 3 this year, Ramesh told the House. Asked if Karnataka had applied for environment clearances before starting on the construction of the Kankumbi canals Ramesh told Naik he did not want to get into the legality or illegality of the Mahadayi project, specially since a Tribunal is being set up by the Central Government on the issue.
