Mangaluru-based National Environment Care Federation on Tuesday, March 28, urged the forest department to stop at once the Netravathi Waterfront Promenade work being undertaken by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., (MSCL) as it destroys the fragile coastal ecosystem and violates the Coastal Zone Regulation norms.
In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, department of forest, ecology and environment, who is also the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA), NECF Secretary H. Shashidhar Shetty said if the work, being undertaken in Jeppinamogaru and Thota villages, was not stopped within seven days, the Federation would be forced to take legal recourse.
Trees on banks of Netravathi river near the Railway Bridge where Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., is executing the Netravathi Riverfront Promenade on March 29 in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
Work on the Netravathi Riverfront Promenade being executed by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., is under progress at Mulihithlu on March 29 in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
He said the KSCZMA had approved the proposal in its 33rd meeting on July 2, 2022, though the anomalies highlighted in its 32nd meeting on March 14, 2022, including the project impact assessment on river bank and seasonal flows, were not addressed by MSCL. The only change made was deletion of CRZ-1B and addition of CRZ 11.
No plan or sketch
Works are now being executed without any plan, sketch/eye sketch or survey on the river bank, destroying mangroves and replacing them without boulders and soil to form a road. Mr. Shetty said CRZ I areas are the most sensitive ones where no development activity was permitted. Among other sensitive areas, CRZ I also includes mangroves, areas close to breeding and spawning grounds of marine life. All States have demarcated mangroves vegetative community areas as CRZ I, he noted.
A mangrove site on the banks of Netravathi river near the Railway Bridge where Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., is executing the Netravathi Riverfront Promenade on March 29 in Mangaluru. | Photo Credit: ANIL KUMAR SASTRY
He said the work was being undertaken without any supervision either from the forest department or from the District CZMA; in fact, forest department was not even aware about the project. Under these circumstances, the work has to be stopped immediately. A detailed survey should be undertaken, particularly on works under CRZ I and a public consultation should be held so that people should know the exact plan.
Retired judge’s letter
Retired judge of Karnataka High Court M.F. Saldanha had in December last, written to MSCL General Manager Arunprabha saying he had received many complaints about the Netravathi promenade project. Mr. Saldanha urged the MSCL to reconsider the project that was wasting crores of rupees of public money and destroying heritage sites of Mangaluru besides impacting the environment.
