Opinion - Editorials

Silent Valley needs a buffer

The Silent Valley National Park is a biodiverse region of the Western Ghats, a famed symbol of India's concern for the environment. The rich flora and fauna in this hotspot have been protected continuously despite severe developmental pressures. But the Kerala government again faces the dilemma of disrupting the ecology of these wet evergreen and deciduous forests to meet the growing demand for power. There are renewed calls to implement the 70 MW Pathrakadavu hydroelectric project in the Silent Valley area. The State must hold firm and not yield to the few who favour the dam across the Kunthi river, practically on the boundary of the national park. This should not be difficult, given the consensus among the major political parties in the State to preserve the relatively pristine character of Silent Valley. What the Achuthanandan government needs to do is to remove all threats to the park by creating a buffer zone — several scientific papers, including those published by the Kerala Forest Research Institute have favoured the idea. Indeed, it has already expressed its intention to do so in the draft State Forest Policy 2007, but regrettably the Cabinet has not endorsed the proposal.

Kerala's achievements in maintaining a balance between environmental concerns and development, aided in a large measure by a science-literate population, have been lauded by ecologists and social scientists alike. Any deviation from such a carefully crafted approach could seriously harm the environment, leading to an irreversible loss of biodiversity. The preliminary Environmental Impact Assessment done for the Pathrakadavu project site found 381 flowering plants, 55 of them endemics and seven categorised as rare by IUCN. Among the many animal species recorded in this region is the highly endangered lion-tailed macaque; of 79 bird species, four are endemic; so are eight amphibian species of a total of 14. Moreover, the Kunthi river is unique as it flows untrammelled by dams, catering to downstream communities. Creating a buffer for Silent Valley would improve protection for this remarkable ecosystem. It is worth recalling that many scientists are worried about fragmentation of natural habitats, which is emerging as a serious threat to the viability of India's reserves. Such damage can be avoided by adopting a wise land use policy that ensures the creation of protected areas of adequate carrying capacity. The imperative for Kerala is to save its environment by deferring to scientists. It would be a monumental folly to let the demand for power — which can be met by other means including improving efficiency in production, distribution and use — permanently deluge priceless forests.

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