Environmentalists oppose Shishila-Bhairapura project

Environmentalists in the district have urged the Central government to shelve the proposed the Shishila-Bhairapura highway project.

They have insisted that the project would result in the destruction of the eco-sensitive region in the district.

There is no need to construct a separate highway, spending Rs 7,000 crore when there are the Subrahmanya, Shiradi, Charmadi, Kudremukh-Bajagoli, Sringeri-Bajagoli and Agumbe roads to provide a link to Mangaluru. Instead, the existing Charmadi road could be improved, the environmentalists have suggested.

A road on Shishila-Bhairapura route, connecting Dharmasthala was proposed earlier. But, as permission was denied by the Forest Department, the project was shelved after generating a report that the option is not viable. But, after Shobha Karandlaje spoke to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, a separate report has been prepared, saying that the road could be constructed, complained the environmentalists.

If the road project gets realised, the Shola forests, the evergreen forests and a large biodiversity would be lost, the environmentalists said. Houses and agricultural lands will also be lost. Streams and rivulets will also lose their existence, they reminded.

The Shishila-Bhairapura region receives an annual rainfall of 300 inches. The roads, if built in the region, could not stand a chance before the heavy rains.

The Shiradi Ghat road, which has been repaired four times, is an example, said Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust trustee D V Girish, wildlife preservation activist G Veeresh, environment enthusiasts Pradeep Kenjige and S Girijashankar in a press release.