Proposed six-lane highway project a threat to forests, many wildlife species: Study
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It additionally warns of rise in human-elephant interplay and in wildlife mortality via collision with autos
The proposed six-lane nationwide highway between Mudigere and Nelliyadi cities of Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada — the Shishila-Byrapura street —, will minimize throughout contiguous forest patches of the central Western Ghats, fragmenting the stretch protected beneath seven reserve forests connecting the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, the Kudremukh National Park, and the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, a new scientific article has mentioned.
These areas host one of many highest populations of Asiatic elephants, a tiger hall, 5 species of birds, 9 species of reptiles, and 23 species of mammals. The proposed highway would disrupt wildlife motion, doubtlessly worsening the present human-elephant interactions, enhance wildlife mortality via collision with dashing autos, and will present entry to poachers and smugglers, added the article.
The article, A highway to hell: a proposed, inessential, 6-lane highway (NH173) that threatens the forest and wildlife corridors of the Western Ghats, was printed within the Journal of Threatened Taxa on October 26 and is authored by H.S. Sathya Chandra Sagar, graduate (Ph.D) researcher on the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Mrunmayee, govt director of WildCANE, an NGO working within the Bhadra Kudremukh panorama, and M.Phil candidate on the University of Cambridge.
According to the article, all the project of 233 km has been cut up into 4 workable packages, every beneath 100 km, and amongst them is the 68.9 km stretch between Mudigere and Nelliyadi, with no current highway within the alignment.
It additional mentioned that the world between Mudigere and Nelliyadi lies on the excessive and reasonable landslide susceptibility areas. In addition, it has identified that the highway can be deliberate to move alongside the Kapila river, one of many principal feeders for the Nethravathi river system.
Ms. Mrunmayee advised The Puucho that the entire panorama between Mudigere and Sakleshpur is a area the place the forest is already severely fragmented due to a number of linear intrusion tasks comparable to MRPL pipeline, excessive stress transmission strains, current highways (Charmadi Ghat and Shiradi Ghat) and the present Sakleshpur-Mangaluru railway strains.
“In addition, Yettinahole river diversion project has created immense damage to the landscape. There are also multiple mini hydel projects and a major reservoir in this area. The lands are also being converted into plantations, tourism facilities and residential plots. All of these projects have severely fragmented the forest and the landscape, which are primarily wildlife corridors and water catchment areas,” she mentioned, attributing them to elevated human-elephant battle in Sakleshpur, Alur and Mudigere.
Changes in laws
“The recent amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, encourages more conversion of agricultural areas which can be detrimental to fragile landscapes such as these. There is an urgent requirement for the government to take measures to protect wildlife corridors and protect the water catchment areas. Human-wildlife conflict is a growing issue and very little attempts are made to protect its corridors. We need to have a landscape-level plan for dos and don’ts,” added Ms. Mrunmayee.
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