Why use Netrani for training: HC asks Navy

The High Court on Monday orally questioned the Navy why the Netrani Island in BHatkal, Uttara Kannada district, was being used as a training base, when an artificial environment can be created for all training purposes like in countries abroad.

The petition submitted by A N Karthik and several others from Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts alleged that the training activities were damaging the ecosystem of the island.

The petition was heard by the Division Bench comprising Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna. The plea was filed based on newspaper reports about talks on declaring Netrani Island a national bio-diversity zone.  The government also wanted to declare the island as national park, but the Navy was sidelining the proposal and destroying the environment.

The Navy training, including bombing, had not only affected the island’s ecosystem but had also damaged the surrounding areas due to which some of the rare bird species had disappeared, the petitioners had said.

Filing objections, the Navy officials contended that they have taken permission from the department concerned to conduct training.