'Resort' in Kudremukh raises greens' hackles

 Greens have turned red against the State government, Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited and the Alvas Group for opening the Alvas Kudremukh Nisargadhama at Kudremukh, Chikkamagaluru.

Many conservationists from the State have written a letter to Alvas’ Institution president M Mohan Kumar Alva. Another letter to the State government and the Forest department point out violations of Supreme Court orders and guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, noted tiger scientist and conservationist K Ullas Karanth said that the letter sent to Alva on November 23, pointed out that the recent establishment of the Nisargadhama along with KIOCL was a violation of conservation laws and a Supreme Court judgement.

“In October 2002, the SC clearly gave KIOCL three years to wind up all operations and quit the area (600 acres of Kudremukh National Park). Though mining operations were suspended, KIOCL continued to squat on the land. They filed many curative petitions which the SC rejected. The KIOCL joined hands with Alvas and leased out 281 acres of land belonging to the government for formation of the luxury resort. Such tourism activities are in total contravention of the SC orders,” Karanth said.

K M Chinnappa, trustee of Wildlife First, pointed out clearly to the government on November 3, 2015, that the said area was a notified eco-sensitive zone where such activities could not be permitted under law. The 281 acres of land where the resort has come up belongs to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board. There are restrictions under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and eco-sensitive zone guidelines listed under MoEF should be strictly followed. This is also prohibited under the State’s wilderness policy, he said.

He said that such lands where rights were vested with the government enjoy the status of a district forest as per the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, and the wooded areas as forests as defined by the Apex Court orders of December 12, 1996. Further, the SC in a 2006 order had clearly said that no or minimal disturbance should be there in the area. But changes were made in August 2015 for the recently opened resort. The government should take action against the offenders, he said.

Have received letter, says Alva

Reacting to both the issues, Alva said that he had received a letter from the conservationists and none from the government. He asserted that no resort was opened, but it was only a Nisargadhama for relaxation. He said that he had replied to the letter and did not want to reply to media again.