Biodiversity network to spruce up 13 ‘dry districts’
Rs 29-lakh plan to protect local plant varieties
The Karnataka Biodiversity Board, along with the Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD), will soon set up a biodiversity network in 13 ‘dry districts’ of the State.
The project, which was recently approved by the Board, will be implemented over the next two months. Biodiversity Board officials said that the network, which was to be approved and implemented much earlier was delayed on account of elections.
Under the project to be implemented at a cost of Rs 29 lakh, the biodiversity in 100 to 150 hectare of land will be identified and protected in each of the 13 dry districts - Bangalore Rural, Chitradurga, Mandya, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Koppal, Bellary, Kolar, Tumkur, Bidar, Gulbarga, Raichur and Davangere.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, R C Prajapati, member secretary of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board said: “It is not as if only the Western Ghats is rich in biodiversity. Dry areas are also rich in biodiversity and this network will ensure their protection.” He added that the areas in each district will be fully monitored and harvesting in the land will be prohibited.
The Board, along with CSD, will carry out the ‘botanisation’ of the network along with soil and water conservation by forming village protection committees. The land will be used for sowing local species of plants that are native to the dry districts.
“We have noticed that a number of sub-species of plants that are native to dry districts are getting wiped out. Therefore the network will be used to give priority to these species that are falling in number,” Prajapati said.
No protection
Meanwhile, a majority of the 39 biodiversity hotspots identified in the State, including forests of the Western Ghats, will not receive protection under the Biodiversity Act. A committee headed by former Indian Institute of Science Professor, Madhav Gadgil, had identified the hotspots and recommended special protection for the hotspots.
The Government has reportedly decided not to give them additional protection as they are already legally protected and come under the jurisdiction of the Forest department. Authorities at the Biodiversity Board said that since most of the hotspots are forests and sanctuaries, it is not under the direct jurisdictional control of the biodiversity board and there is very little they could do to push for protection under the Act.
While the State government has been pushing its proposal for the ecological restoration of the Western Ghats on one hand, it also reportedly felt that it was not necessary to protect the forests under an additional Act. Biodiversity officials also revealed that the Board had just received a proposal for an integrated study of the Western Ghats but it was too early to comment on the future of the study.
