Road widening of Sirsi-Kumta highway to claim 7,000 trees

Adding another blow to the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, 7,000 trees are being cleared to make way for the widening of National Highway 766E between Sirsi and Kumta as the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) gave a green light to the project recently.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had cited that limited right of way and poor road geometry at several stretches of the highway and "heavy traffic" were leading to accidents. "As per traffic assessment, the existing road warrants two lanes with paved shoulder configuration (as per Indian Road Congress standards) to cater to the traffic for upcoming years," the NHAI said.

The NHAI had sought to divert 99 acres of the forest land, most of it classified as pristine forest. The Forest Department's stance, however, helped in reducing it to 54 acres.

A forest officer said the project involves clearing of 5,000 trees in Honnavar division and 2,000 trees in Sirsi division. "The Forest Department had red-flagged the project, particularly the work in Honnavar division as the entire stretch will impact precious evergreen forest. However, our concerns have been overruled," an official said.

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Activists, however, said the road widening project is being taken up to help the vested interests. "Sand mafia, timber mafia and stone crushers are pulling the strings. Anyone who opposes felling of trees is being branded anti-national. Unfortunately, politics have divided the people. The people who fought against felling of any tree in Devimane Ghat during the Congress regime are now silent spectators of the large-scale destruction," an activist from the area told DH.

However, for some activists like Akhilesh Chipli who took the project to high court, the fight is not over. ""It's true politics has hit conservation efforts. But for a tree, it doesn't matter which party is in power. Similarly, when trees are gone, people of all parties are bound to suffer. We are planning to approach the Supreme Court," he said.

He said officials and the government have failed to learn anything from the disasters in Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Kerala. "Climate change has already brought us to a point of no return. The government's push for linear projects in Western Ghats will exacerbate the matters in the coming days," he added.

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