The Hindu : Concern over laying of roads in Kudremukh National Park

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 13, 2003

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National

Concern over laying of roads in Kudremukh National Park

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 12. Environmental groups have expressed concern over the Karnataka Government's proposal to lay a network of roads in some parts of the Kudremukh National Park. The roads are being laid by the forest department for access deep inside the park.

Wildlife First and many other non-governmental organisations have appealed to the Karnataka Government to stop the project immediately and preserve the sanctity of the natural landscape by declaring the Kudremukh region as India's first roadless wilderness area.

In a letter, they have urged the State Government to save the Kudremukh forests from all development activities and provide additional field staff for patrolling.

A detailed plan should be drafted to restore the roads to their natural rainforest ecosystem.

Roads in the hilly grasslands and the `shola' forests have damaged hundreds of trees and resulted in the removal of grass cover from slopes.

The roads formed in the steep terrain of Kudremukh, when exposed to heavy rain, are susceptible to heavy soil erosion.

The roads also fragment wildlife habitat and open up new forest areas for illegal activities such as timber smuggling and wildlife poaching, according to Wildlife First.

Laying of new roads or reviving the old ones, which are now covered with thick undergrowth, will cause damage to the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem.

Some areas of Kudremukh forests have not been subjected to intensive human pressures due to inaccessibility. Opening up these areas will contradict the very purpose of declaring this region as a national park for the preservation of the flora and fauna of the region.

Hundreds of people trek in the roadless hill ranges of Kudremukh.

Formation of a road network will discourage nature lovers, conservationists point out.

A long-term solution for providing protection to these forests from fire and illegal activities would be through establishing regular anti-poaching camps with sufficient staff in the remote forest areas.

There are several examples of wildlife reserves with similar terrain and habitat where effective protection has been provided by the forest department without laying any roads.

Wildlife First, in its letter, quoted examples of the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, the Eravikulam National Park and the Silent Valley National Park.

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