Concrete road ruled out at Kodachadri Hills

Nischith N. | NT

Kodachadri Hills, a famous tourist destination, was in the news recently after Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) proposed to build a concrete road cutting through Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary.

The proposal was cleared by the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and sent to the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for clearance. Now the sources from the standing committee of NBWL confirmed that they have denied the permission to build a concrete road.

“This project is very much essential for visitors or tourists and also to villagers, as Kodachadri Hill has scenic religious, cultural, and tourism values,” says a senior forest official who supported the KRDCL proposal.

According to the reports, the KRDCL in its proposal has sought the diversion of 5.50 hectare of fresh forest area land and 0.0676 hectare of non-forest to concrete the existing mud road from Kattinahole to Kodachadri Hill top and Chakra forest.

One of the vital points of concern of the environmentalists is that the project falls in the eco-sensitive zone of Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary. Out of the total proposed area for diversion, 4.5053 hectares belongs to Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, which falls under Kudremukh Wildlife Division and 0.99 hectares come under Sagar division. Also, the total cost of the project was Rs 9.74 crore.

A detailed project report (DPR) by the KRDCL claims that the project is being undertaken to boost tourism. “Kodachadri receives an annual rainfall of 500 cm to 750 cm and it rains for about eight months in a year. During monsoons, due to heavy rains the existing route becomes slippery. This hill road between Kattinahole and Kodachadri hill is in a very poor condition with poor geometrics (inadequate radii of horizontal curves, several hair pin bends, inadequate sight distance, s t e e p g r a d i e n t s a n d inadequate road widths). Only Jeeps driven by skilled drivers can use the hill road and no other vehicle can use this road,” the DPR reads.

Also the land suitability certificate dated August 7, 2020, issued by Sagar Deputy Conservator of Forest (7.8.2020) shows the Karnataka forest department has accepted the diversion of the forest area to boost tourism.

But it is important to note that Ramprasad Aithal, a wildlife activist, had sent his representation to Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife appealing to reject the proposal mentioning it is legally not tenable to convert the mud road into concrete road and any attempt to recommend the proposal would be in violation of Guidelines for Roads in Protected Areas released by MoEF. Many wildlife activists have also objected to the proposal by stating that the existing road itself is illegal and therefore the present proposal amounts to the formation of a new road.

T h e p r o p o s e d concretisation of road would jeopardise the lives of vulnerable species including leopard and sloth bear and endangered species like lion tailed macaque.

The Section 29 of Wildlife Protection Act restricts any non-forestry activity inside a Protected Area unless it is for the betterment of the Wildlife Sanctuary or a National Park. However, the department is allowed to build water holes, tanks, bunds which are prerequisites for conservation and protection of the wildlife.