Yaragol project: Another salvo from Forest Dept

DCF points out to inadequacies in the proposal submitted by Water Supply Board

The Board has submitted a proposal in ten sets to the Forest Department on June 14. In a letter dated June 16, addressed to the Executive Engineer of the Board, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Kolar division has found the proposal lacking in several aspects. A copy of the letter in possession of Deccan Herald, points out to following deficiencies.
The first objection raised relates to naming of the project. The letter says that the complete name of the project has not been mentioned in the proposal.

The three sketches annexed to the proposal do not bear the signature of the competent officer. All the records and certificates accompanying the proposal must bear the signature of the authorised officer of the Board.

Vague statements
The major lacuna in the proposal is lack of clarity on the extent of forest land required for the project. While the three sketches indicate the location of the project, they do not specify the exact extent of the land. A plain statement that the project requires 355.44 acres of land do not suffice, the letter says.

Furthermore, the proposal is not forthcoming on Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families that would be displaced by the project.

The letter says that it was wrong to say that the information should be obtained from the Revenue Department. There is neither any mention of rehabilitation project nor compensatory afforestation programme, much less any assurance on the issues.
The Department had been informing the Board that lands bearing survey numbers 52 of Yaragol, 20 and 21 of Palamadagu, 215 and 241 of Balamande village are forest lands. The Board has been suggested to consider the requirement of the forest land mentioned in the village sketch annexed to the proposal.

The land mentioned as ‘Gomala’ in the proposal belongs to Forest Department and then Mysore government had declared it to be a forest land under Kamasandra Forests. Attention should have been given to such notification, the letter says.

The Deputy Conservator of Forests has said that the proposal should refer to forest land proposed to be submerged, the extent required for construction of road, pumphouse and other civic services after the completion of the project.

Forest land assumes centre stage only after the proposal securing approval.
The Forest Department has asked the Board to submit a comprehensive proposal, while offering its services to clear any doubts.