VIJAYANAGARA, 11 JUNE

Environmentalists have raised a hue and cry over a proposal submitted to State government seeking permission to cut down 29,400 trees in Vijayanagara district. State-owned Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant (VISL) wants to cut down the trees across 150 acres in Sandur and Ramgarh for mining ore.  

Before Supreme Court's crackdown on illegal mining in 2011, Ballari district housed 99 mines. More than 61 of them fell into the C category (mines where operations illegally extended their lease boundaries by more than 15%) due to rampant illegal mining and environmental degradation. Although 13 C category mines have been auctioned, the proposal submitted by Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) for the mining has raised alarms about potential biodiversity loss in the region.

In 2014, VISL officials visited Ramgarh to identify the 150 acres of dense forest for mining. However, strong opposition from local organisations, including Samaj Parivartan Samudaya and Jana Sangrama Parishad, halted the mine demarcation.

On one hand, Karnataka Mines Environment Rehabilitation Corporation has invested Rs 130 crore to plant saplings in C-category mines to mitigate the environmental damage caused by mining. On the other hand, the proposal to allow VISL to cut down the 29,400 trees highlights a contradictory approach by the corporation.  

Environmentalists argued that if VISL needs mining space, it should be allocated from thousands of hectares marked as C-category mines, rather than destroying a thriving forest ecosystem. They urged the State government to recall the decision made by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) on 28 March, 2016, which stated that no new forest areas should be allocated for mining under any circumstances.  

Sandur-Ramgarh forest area, known as the 'Oxygen Bank of North Karnataka', spans 90,000 hectares with a forest density of 0.4. The forest is home to 91 plant species, including sandalwood, teak and banyan trees, many of which are unique to this region, and mammals such as leopards, pangolins, peacocks, vultures and bears.  

“The Union government should not approve cutting of trees for any reason. The destruction of such large greenery would affect the ecology,” environmentalist Joseph Hoover told Salar News. "The government should make a decision with like-minded individuals to allocate C and B category mines to VISL, rather than targeting forested areas for mining," said SR Hiremath, founder of Jana Sangrama Parishad in Dharwad.

Sandeep Suryavamshi, DCF of Ballari division, told Salar News, “Such a large quantity of trees can be cut only if Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate gives permission. We have moved the file to PCCF as per the procedure and it will move to Delhi for clearance.” —Salar News