Greens question highway work in elephant corridor in Dakshina Kannada

Bengaluru: Environment activists have questioned the road widening work taken up on National Highway (NH) 73 between Ujire and Periyashanthi, a sensitive wildlife corridor in the Dakshina Kannada (DK) district, without obtaining statutory clearances.

The officials, in turn, have pointed to diluted provisions in the law that facilitate such works.

The work on the 28.49 km stretch of road from Ujire to Periyashanthi via Dharmasthala requires 38.80 acres of forest land and 32.62 acres of non-forest land.

According to the highway authorities, the project will turn the highway into a two-lane road with paved shoulders.

The activists, however, noted that a significant stretch of the corridor lies within the Kudremukh-Pushpagiri tiger corridor.

In addition, frequent sightings of elephants in the area have been reported, along with conflict incidents in the area, they said.

They also pointed to the felling of a tree in a reserved forest area in Nidle, though Stage 1 clearance has not been granted to the project.

Till two years ago, agencies were not allowed to dig non-forest land until they got forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. However, the Union government amended the Forest (Conservation) Act and revised the rules, which came into effect on December 30, 2023.

The consolidated guidelines issued under the new law, Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, contain a specific provision allowing projects involving forest and non-forest areas to work in non-forest land without clearance.

“To prevent the occurrence of fait accompli situations...in case approval under the Act is declined for widening of road, width of the portion of road falling in the forest land will be maintained at its existing level,” it says, adding that the provision is not applicable for projects falling in protected areas.

A forest official noted that the tiger corridors in the area (Nidle, Koukaradi, Dharmasthala and Chibidre corridors) do not enjoy the status of a protected area. “However, we have told the user agency to get clearance from the National Board of Wildlife,” he added.

The National Highway Division of the Public Works Department has given an undertaking that it will provide a bridge for elephants at a cost of Rs 20 crore and an “uninterrupted passage” for smaller animals, reptiles and amphibians through a culvert at an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakh.