The Western Ghats are among the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The controversial Hubballi-Ankola Railway Line Project (HARP) will destroy some of the last remaining primary forests of the Western Ghats in Uttara Kannada and result in massive, irreversible ecological destruction. This region has already lost 3300 sq km of pristine forests, and stands to lose more if HARP becomes a reality. No amount of mitigation will compensate for the loss of … Read More
Dibang Valley Must Be Saved from Destruction — Act Now!
The proposal for the Etalin Hydro-Electric Project (3097 MW) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley (RO/Ministry File Number F. No. 8-20/2014-FC), was placed for approval before the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) on the 23rd of April, 2020. Reports state that 2.7 lakh forest trees will be felled in the process. Long-term research in Dibang Valley (including areas which will see impacts of the proposed hydro-project) show that the region is crucial habitat for many Schedule I endangered species, including a genetically … Read More
Conservation swap restores corridor in a biodiversity hotspot
The attached link is of a news item by Prerna Bindra of WCS-India from the current issue of Oryx, regarding a valuable “conservation swap” that resulted from an inspection by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of Government of India a couple of years ago in Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka.
Read the detailed case study on Conservation India. … Read More
Wildlife Gains 25 km Corridor in Kudremukh in Unique “Conservation Swap”
In a precedent-setting “conservation swap” initiated by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), and the Karnataka Forest Department, a 25 km long wildlife corridor disrupted by a 220 KVA power transmission line in Kudremukh National Park has been restored. The line was originally supporting the now defunct Kudremukh Iron Ore Company (KIOCL)’s mining operations, shut down by the Supreme Court in response to litigation by local wildlife conservation groups.
The Karnataka government had … Read More
Conservationists Win Legal Battle in Bhadra Tiger Reserve
In a tough legal battle conservationists, succeeded in stalling two projects that would have upset the ecologically fragile eco-system buffering the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Chikmagalur district.
One was a 124 windmill project to be set-up by Karnataka Renewal Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) subleased to BB Hills Wind Farm Development for a period of 30-years on the Bababudangiri Hills and the other was a resort-cum-spa, promoted by Bangalore-based Brigade Hospitality Services, in collaboration with the Singapore-based Banyan Tree Hotels and … Read More
Three Coal Blocks Opened in Chhattisgarh Against Recommendation of Forest Advisory Committee
The Union Environment Minister has eased his stand against the ‘go no-go’ policy where three coal blocks were cleared in the dense Hasdeo-Arand forests in Chhattisgarh. The clearance comes against the recommendations of the forest advisory committee (FAC). The minister has given six reasons for his decision. He has said that the projects are on the fringe of thick forest blocks and that the project had been curtailed from original versions. The proponents were also said to have accommodated the … Read More
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