<p>Bengaluru: The standing committee of the state board for wildlife has rejected proposals to provide electricity to seven enclosure villages located within the limits of the Kudremukh National Park, stating that such a measure at a time of efforts to shift people outside the protected area will impede creation of inviolate areas.</p>.<p>The standing committee of the state board of wildlife was looking into five proposals for drawing an 11 KV transmission line into five enclosures. These included Emmegundi, Yadagaaru and Horane enclosures in Sringeri taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. In Udupi, the enclosures were spread over Hebri (Tinglemakki and Moorantebailu) and Karkala taluks (Kanyalu-Iddu and Barkala).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee discussed the proposal to draw aerial bunched cables within the national park limits. The member-secretary of the board pointed out to the site inspection report by the deputy conservator of forests, Kudremukh Wildlife Division.</p>.UDD officers' 'silence' in Karnataka's City Gas Distribution policy under Lokayukta lens.<p class="bodytext">“Providing basic infrastructure such as electricity lines in rural areas can help build trust in the department among the local residents. However, a resettlement and rehabilitation programme is currently being implemented in Kudremukh National Park and some families have submitted applications seeking compensation, which are under evaluation. Therefore, at this stage, providing electricity in these areas may hinder the state government’s objective of designating these areas for wildlife conservation,” the report stated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, who chaired the meeting, sought to know how many families would benefit from the electrification work. “It was replied that each of the proposals would serve few families only,” the minutes of the meeting stated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee decided not to recommend the transmission lines and directed the department to submit the details of the rehabilitation instead. At the same time, the committee advised the agency, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company, to submit fresh proposals for underground transmission lines, if there are an adequate number of beneficiaries for a particular project.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The standing committee of the state board for wildlife has rejected proposals to provide electricity to seven enclosure villages located within the limits of the Kudremukh National Park, stating that such a measure at a time of efforts to shift people outside the protected area will impede creation of inviolate areas.</p>.<p>The standing committee of the state board of wildlife was looking into five proposals for drawing an 11 KV transmission line into five enclosures. These included Emmegundi, Yadagaaru and Horane enclosures in Sringeri taluk of Chikkamagaluru district. In Udupi, the enclosures were spread over Hebri (Tinglemakki and Moorantebailu) and Karkala taluks (Kanyalu-Iddu and Barkala).</p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee discussed the proposal to draw aerial bunched cables within the national park limits. The member-secretary of the board pointed out to the site inspection report by the deputy conservator of forests, Kudremukh Wildlife Division.</p>.UDD officers' 'silence' in Karnataka's City Gas Distribution policy under Lokayukta lens.<p class="bodytext">“Providing basic infrastructure such as electricity lines in rural areas can help build trust in the department among the local residents. However, a resettlement and rehabilitation programme is currently being implemented in Kudremukh National Park and some families have submitted applications seeking compensation, which are under evaluation. Therefore, at this stage, providing electricity in these areas may hinder the state government’s objective of designating these areas for wildlife conservation,” the report stated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, who chaired the meeting, sought to know how many families would benefit from the electrification work. “It was replied that each of the proposals would serve few families only,” the minutes of the meeting stated.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee decided not to recommend the transmission lines and directed the department to submit the details of the rehabilitation instead. At the same time, the committee advised the agency, Mangalore Electricity Supply Company, to submit fresh proposals for underground transmission lines, if there are an adequate number of beneficiaries for a particular project.</p>