'Centre approved forest diversion for Kalasa-Banduri work in 2003'

The Union government has in 2003 approved diversion of 243 hectare of forest land in Western Ghats for Banduri nala diversion scheme in Belagavi district.

This revelation was made in response to an RTI application filed by a Bengaluru resident. Notably, the Centre has on August 12 filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying it received no proposal from Karnataka for environmental clearance of the Kalasa-Banduri project. Neither it has so far accorded any permission to Karnataka for the works, it had said.

However, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change disclosed to Laxmikant Joshi on August 10, this year that the Forest Advisory Committee in its meeting held on March 28, 2003 has approved the diversion of forest land after considering the irrigation requirement of Dharwad district.

In response to the RTI application filed by Joshi on August 27, 2015, the Ministry said the diversion of the forest land would subject to conditions such as immediate transfer and mutation of equivalent non-forest land in favour of the Forest department, which shall be notified as reserved forest, compensatory afforestation on non-forest land and rising of four feet RCC pillars for demarcation.

Among others, it was mandated for the Karnataka government to declare the entire reservoir created due to submergence as reserved forest. However, regulated fishing rights would be allowed.

The Karnataka government was also saddled with the task of plantations along the bank of reservoir at the project cost. However, the centre also clarified that the Stage II clearance of the project would be granted after the inter-state water dispute between Goa and Karnataka with regard to the Mahadayi river was settled, the RTI response stated.
Karnataka, for its part, claimed before the apex court that the works of the project, meant to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag, have almost been completed in non-forest areas. All the works carried out were in revenue lands and in Karnataka’s territory.

Further, the state maintained no environment clearance was required as the estimate of the project was below Rs 100 crore and were to be allocated from non-plan funds.

DH News Service