JOIN USProtest against destruction of forest land for non-agricultural purposes
The Coorg Wildlife Society will organise a protest rally on June 2 against the proposed extension of the Mysuru-Kushalnagar railway line to Makkandooru and illegal conversion of forest land among other issues.
Briefing reporters here on Monday, the Coorg Wildlife Society president Col (retd) C P Muthanna said that a procession will be taken out from the General Thimmaiah Circle to the Gandhi Maidan in town. A memorandum will be submitted to Deputy Commissioner Richard Vincent D’Souza after a public meeting.
He said, “Illegal conversion of land for non-agricultural purposes is on the rise in the district. As a result, the forest land is destroyed. The government is mulling over providing a national highway to the district. It has also decided to extend the proposed Mysuru-Kushalnagar railway line to Makkandooru in Madikeri. Both projects will result in felling of huge trees. This will have an impact on the topography of the district as well.”
The Society president said that there is a good road from Kushalnagar to Madikeri. “However, a private firm is taking up a survey to upgrade the road to four-lane. The road is proposed to connect Kushalnagar, Suntikoppa, Madikeri, Moornadu, Virajpet, Ponnampet, Kutta, Manandavadi, and Kerala. If the proposed road work is approved, like the railway project, it will result in felling of thousands of trees. This will also result in increase in human-elephant conflicts in the district,” he said with worry.
The destruction of forest in the district will affect River Cauvery, he reminded.