Preserving rich natural life and sustaining the forests

By Vijaykumar Patil

BELGAUM, JULY 1. One of the 25 bio-diversity hotspots of the world, the beautiful and nature-rich forests of the "Sahyadri" -- nestling between the three States of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra -- supporting thousands of plant and animal species, including aquatic life forms -- is under threat, and need to be protected from further commercial exploitation by declaring the area eco-sensitive.

A dozen environmental groups from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, including Paryavarani at Belgaum, the Samaj Parivartana Samukdaya (SPS), at Dharwad, the School of Environmental Science of the Shivaji University at Kolhapur in Maharashtra, the Mahadayi Bachao Andolan in Goa, and the Cerena Foundation in Hyderabad working under the umbrella of the National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) are trying to pressure the Government to establish what is described as the Sahyadri Ecologically Sensitive Area (SESA).

The ecological abundance supported by the Sahyadri ranges, its rich bio-diversity and sensitive geo-morphology adds to its uniqueness. The forests have been threatened by the large-scale destruction of green cover, and the establishment of developmental projects and industries including ports, railways, power systems, mines, and expanding human concentrations, which have a direct bearing on the ecology and environment besides leading to depletion of underground water resources, states a NCPNR note.

The NCPNR has proposed the notification of an identified segment within the forest belt as SESA under Section 3(2) of the Environment Protection Act 1986 and Rule 5(V) of the Environment Protection Rules, 1986. The area that qualifies to be chosen for SESA covers the whole of the Western Ghats and the adjoining coastal stretch from Maharashtra to Kerala.

The stretch of forests comprising areas in North Karnataka (Uttar Kannada and Belgaum district, from the Kali river in the south to the Tillari river in the north), East Goa (the protected segment from Madei to Cotigao sanctuaries), and the forests adjoining Karnataka and South Maharashtra (Kolhapur and Sindhugurg districts, from the Tillari river to the Radhanagari sanctuary in the north) should be declared as SESA in the first phase. These areas encompass the origins and catchment areas of the Kali river system, the Netravali-Khandepar rivers in Goa, the Mahadai- Malaprabha-Ghataprabha systems, and the Terekhol-Hiranyakeshi- Vedganga-Dudhganga systems. These river systems support some of the richest evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist and dry deciduous forests rich in teak, bamboo, sisam, matti, honne, kendal wild mango, jackfruit, etc.

It is noteworthy here that the Nature Lovers Club, Belgaum has conducted a survey and listed 26 types of mammals including the tiger, black panther, bison and elephant; 15 species of reptiles, 128 bird species, 31 moths and butterflies, 100 common plants and 174 medicinal plants in the Mahadai Valley alone. Significantly, the valley is the only known home in the world for the Wroughton freetailed bat and one of the three habitats in the country for the Theobald Tomb Bat.

Arguing in favour of SESA, the NCPNR states that the Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act are limited in their scope to enable ecological development of large eco-regions, which may comprise different types of forests as well as varied land-use patterns such as agriculture, tourism, industry, etc. The concept of SESA addresses such diverse issues of eco-regions by allowing participatory land-use planning and management.

The governments at the Centre and in Karnataka have suggested that the region be declared as a Biosphere Reserve under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme initiated by UNESCO. However, this programme aims chiefly at doing research and documentation within the eco-region. Hence, "a biosphere reserve does not offer any enforceable legal protection to the areas it covers". Therefore, the objective of ensuring legal protection to eco-regions could be realised by declaring them as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

While notifying SESA, certain restrictions on mining, quarrying and blasting (besides stopping renewals of their licenses), and the construction of dams, reservoirs, canals, and the tunnels that may threaten submergence of forests need to be imposed. Innovative and small-scale projects to facilitate irrigation and power generation need to be encouraged and supported. Areas alternative to hydropower and fuel-based power generation also need to be explored.

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