Members of nearly 30 organisations have launched a “Save Kodagu, Save Cauvery” campaign to protest the ecologically destructive projects sanctioned in Kodagu on Saturday.
The activists will stage a protest in Kutta on the Karnataka-Kerala border to register their opposition to the 400 kV power line project passing through the district, the proposed railway line – one linking with Mysuru and the other with Thalassery in Kerala — besides linking of NHs cutting across the district.
“Most of these projects are not required for Kodagu which is an environmentally fragile and sensitive region and entails large scale felling of trees,” said Col. C.P. Muthanna of the Coorg Wildlife Society, which is also a part of the campaign. He estimated that lakhs of trees were at the risk of being felled to pave way for the projects based on the broad estimates of land acquisition.
“Each hectare of land in Kodagu supports nearly 350 fully grown and mature trees and one shudders to think of the extent of tree-felling that will take place given the vast tract of land that will be acquired,” he said.
The thrust of the campaign is to highlight the imperatives of conserving the catchment area of the Cauvery.
Rampant destruction of environment is evident in the depleting rainfall over the years and it is time to rethink such destructive development, according to activists. The railway line for Kodagu is being touted as an important link providing connectivity to the coffee market across India. But there is little value addition to coffee cultivated in Chikkamagaluru because of rail connectivity in Hassan, he said. The Mysuru-Kushalngar-Madikeri railway line has no real benefit to the district but could open up a can of new problems, including unbridled urbanisation of an environmentally sensitive region, he added.
The planned demonstration has received support from various quarters cutting across geographical region and the organisers have received endorsement from like-minded individuals and groups on social media groups as well.
The activists will congregate at Ponnampet and then go to Kutta where they will go in a procession at 11 a.m. and demonstrate near the check post on the border.
