TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
BELGAUM: Environmentalists in Belgaum have welcomed the draft notification issued by MoEF declaring 56,825 areas of Western Ghats as eco-sensitive, as it would boost their opposition to the implementation of the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project.
The Centre on Tuesday brought out the draft notification on Western Ghats reducing the originally earmarked ESA by 3,115 sq kms.
Members of Paryavarani, a green organization here, have expressed happiness over the declaration stating that it is a vital development towards efforts of the organization that has been fighting over years for the conservation of the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats region bordering Karnataka and Goa.
The organization met with success after the 138 sq km of Bhimgarh in Belgaum district bordering Goa as a wildlife sanctuary in February 2010. Goa too had heaved a sigh of relief as it has locked horns with Karnataka over the controversial project.
The declaration has also come as advantage to Goa as the water diversion project is being implemented within the periphery of the ecologically sensitive Bhimgarh wildlife sanctuary. The Mahadeyi Water Diversion Tribunal (MWDT) during its visit in December last year had questioned Karnataka over the very implementation of the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project without MoEF clearance that too cannot be ignored.
Environmentalists who are closely monitoring the ongoing work on the Kalsa-Bhandura project have expressed displeasure over the massive destruction of forest and ecology in the Kankumbi region caused by deep excavations for the construction of a canal.
“While we condemn the act of diversion of the natural course of the river by the authorities, we welcome the draft declaration that is expected to be regularized soon and save our Western Ghats including the Bhimgarh wildlife sanctuary,” Lingraj Jagjampi of Paryavarni told Herald.
“The declaration has given a major boost to our conservation efforts. Along with our Goan counterparts we are planning a strategy to stop the massive destruction of forests by Karnataka government which is being carried out under the guise of development,” added Jagjampi.
