Karnataka HC issues notice to government over diverting grassland for canal

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday ordered issuance of notice to the state government on a PIL challenging the allotment of Amrut Mahal Kaval land for the construction of a canal in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru district.

The petition stated that the construction in question is for the Tumkur diversion canal as part of the Upper Bhadra Project. The project aims to draw water from Tunga River and Bhadra Reservoir to supply it to Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Tumakuru and Davangere districts.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice M Nagaprasanna issued notice on the PIL filed by D V Girish and others. The petitioners contended that the diversion of 61.41 acres of grassland by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Department to Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Ltd is in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, The Forest (Conservation) Act and other environmental laws.

"Being an area protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, no diversion of land for the construction of the proposed canal can be undertaken," the petitioner stated.

The petition said that Karnataka’s extensive grasslands, maintained as Amruth Mahal Kaval, have now been fragmented and only around 30,000 acres of grasslands are left in the state. Karnataka state had more than 4 lakh acres of grasslands at the time of independence, the petitioner added. The petition claimed that the construction of canal has already begun in the nearby Gomala land, about two km away from the grassland. The matter was adjourned to August 17.