Developmental projects in Western Ghats spell environmental disaster; Biodiversity under threat

At a time when we are facing the consequences of environmental catastrophes like drought, flood, cyclone etc, the precious biodiversity of the Western Ghats is still threatened by a large number of projects in the pipeline. Even a project like the Hubballi-Ankola railway line, which was rejected at least twice in the past, is being revived.

Is this the way forward for the country at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to lead global efforts to address climate change? Have we lost confidence in science-based advisory by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that conservation of tropical forests is the easiest and best option to minimise the impact?

The Western Ghats is one of the eight biodiversity hot spots in the world; these forests provide ecological services, water security for peninsular India and highly effective carbon sink.

We have already lost 14,000 hectares of forest in Sharavathi-Linganmakki submersion, 6,800 for Varahi project, 1,000 for Talakalale reservoir, 1,880 for Chakra dam, 2,000 for Karnataka Power Corporation township, 800 for Sharavathi tail-race project, 800 for KPTCL projects and several thousand hectares for the rehabilitation of evacuees from these projects.

Doubling of Londa-Madgaon railway line via Castle Rock is in the final stage of approval. Widening of Belagavi-Panjim road is in progress. Proposal to widen Sirsi-Kumta road for connecting the Belekeri port is in the pipeline. Also, upgradation of Khanapur-Alnavar-Yellapur-Sirsi-Talguppa road to National Highway is a dream project of some politicians.

A proposal to divert 177-hectare forests for transmission line from Kaiga to Goa can be seen on the website of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. A proposal to divert 200-hectare luxuriant evergreen forests for Sharavathi pump storage project was recently approved by the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife.

These projects are ill-conceived and more than the benefits to society, they would cause harm. The valuation of intangible benefits from ecological services is often ignored and the benefit-cost ratio is shown to be highly inflated to favour the project in every case.

In the proposed power line project from Kaiga to Goa involving cutting down evergreen forests over 177 hectares, benefit is shown to be 715 times the cost. Total cost for losing 177-hectare forests is shown as Rs 6,392.26 lakh, whereas monetary benefit to society from the power evacuated through the transmission line is Rs 45,73,955.95 lakh. It is then derived that the benefit cost ratio is 715:1.

The reconstruction cost on account of flood damages in Kerala and Kodagu in 2018 was Rs 20,000 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, respectively. Flood in these areas occurred in 2019 also. In this background, it is distressing to note that the detailed project report of Kaiga-Goa transmission line has attached very little monetary value to 177-hectare high-quality evergreen forests. The Union ministry has not made any comment on such a misleading report on its website. When do we learn and correct valuation of forests and how long we mislead the public?

There is yet another false and misleading report in the public domain. In 2011, the Infrastructure Development Department of Karnataka engaged the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for the impact assessment of environment and biodiversity proposed to be destroyed for Hubballi-Ankola rail project.

The IISc constituted a multi-disciplinary committee for the study. It recommended the project for implementation with mitigation measures such as growing compensatory afforestation over 796 hectares of non-forest land, protecting Uttara Kannada forests using chain link to boost the growing stock, implementing soil and water conservation measures, growing fodder reserves for wild animals etc.

The mitigation measures suggested by IISc are not new to the Forest Department. Similar measures have been tried but have failed in all cases. We destroy forests with hundreds of floral and faunal species and argue that it will be compensated with artificial plantations of hardly four-five species. Compensatory plantations of many projects have failed. There cannot be any mitigation for the loss of biodiversity in rich natural forests.

The IISc has brought out publications interpreting satellite imageries which conclude that the Western Ghats is losing forests with increasing pace and substantial change in land use pattern is bringing drought, flood, wildfire and storm inflicting misery to human beings.

They have always cautioned against deforestation. Except for the Hubbali-Ankola rail project, IISc has never favoured destruction of such wonderful forests. It is an irony to find that the report has been accepted by Chief Wildlife Warden and Government of Karnataka, which was also conveyed to Union Ministry in October 2017.

Such reports are used by politicians repeatedly to re-open the case. It is again being brought in for consideration in State Board for Wildlife. When the doubling of Londa-Madgaon rail line is on way, what is the need for another rail project?

Biodiversity forests

Destroying 800 hectares of very dense and good quality biodiversity forests will certainly take its toll on the environment, and the climatic catastrophes will hit the region with increasing frequency and will be more destructive.

While expansions of several road projects are in the pipeline, construction of a new road is proposed from Shishila-Baripura near Kottigehara, and Mudigere to Nelliyadi in Shiradi Ghats. It will open new forest areas of Mudigere and Sakleshpur taluks for plundering.

Any attempt to open forests in eco-fragile Shiradi and Charmadi Ghats will be an environmental disaster. Landslides and landslips are very common in this belt and rightly, the High Court of Karnataka has stayed the construction of this road.

A proposal for 2,000 MW Sharavathi pumped storage project sacrificing 200-hectare evergreen forests of Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts in lion tailed macaque sanctuary is highly ill-conceived.

Ironically, it is under active consideration of the Union Government. When the world’s largest solar park at Pavagada is now fully operational, why do we need to destroy forests for power generation?

It is high time that the destruction of forests is suspended in the Western Ghats or else life will slowly perish from the earth.

(The writer is retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka)