A group of 120 ecologists and activists has written to Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, urging him to reject the proposal for the Hubballi-Ankola railway line, days ahead of a second hearing on the project in the High Court of Karnataka.
The letter, dated July 6, has among the signatories Anindya Sinha, former member of the State wildlife board, ecologists Harini Nagendra and Divya Mudappa, and Uttara Kannada activist Jayanand Derekar.
They have said that the railway line would cause irreversible damage, diminishing the already receding forest cover in Uttara Kannada region.
“On March 20, days before the lockdown began, the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife approved the Hubballi-Ankola railway line that is set to destroy 596 hectares of forest in the Western Ghats. It is a threat to 1.58 lakh trees that will be cut in one of the most vital, biodiverse and pristine ecosystems in our country, as well as in the world. The execution of the project will spell disaster for the local wildlife and humans, worsening the climate crisis we are facing,” the letter stated, adding that despite being rejected by several bodies such as the Forest Advisory Committee, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and National Tiger Conservation Authority, the project had still found its way back.
The letter stated that the primary objective of the project was to accommodate the increase in iron ore freight capacity from the Ballari-Hosapete region to the Western coastal ports, though the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has pointed to the existence of several rail options for the transport of iron ore.
Effect on wildlife
Expanding on the ecological dangers of the project, the signatories mentioned that the region to be affected by the project was home to more than 300 species of animals that come under the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They pointed out that fragmentation of the forest by the railway line would restrict the movement of tigers, elephants, and lion-tailed macaques.
In addition to this, forest-dwelling communities such as Gowlis, Siddis, Kunbis, and Halakkivokkaligas who depend on collected forest produce such as honey, wax, shikakai, cane, and cashew will be affected. The project also raises fears of erosion, flooding and landslips, seen in parts of Karnataka and Kerala owing to large-scale deforestation, they said.
