Mangaluru: Around 7,540 trees spread across nearly 39 acres of reserved forest land are proposed to be felled for the widening of National Highway 73 in the Charmadi Ghat region, prompting environmental concerns over the impact on forests and wildlife.
Environmentalist Vivek M of Mangaluru has submitted a representation to senior officials of the central and state forest departments, urging them to ensure that the proposal is subjected to public scrutiny before any trees are felled.
According to the representation, the principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force of Karnataka recommended in-principle Stage-I approval for the proposal on September 10.
Road passes through tiger corridor
The representation highlights concerns raised in the site inspection report prepared by the deputy conservator of forests, Mangaluru Division.
According to the report, the proposed road alignment passes through a tiger corridor. It also records that elephants regularly move through the area and recommends that necessary measures be taken to ensure their free movement.
However, the representation states that the wildlife clearance process has not been initiated at this stage. It also points out that a detailed plan for mitigating the impact of the road-widening project on wildlife has not been submitted.
The proposed widening passes through the Charmadi-Kanapadi Reserved Forest and a connecting area of the Kudremukh-Pushpagiri Tiger Corridor identified by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The forest landscape in the region comprises naturally grown tropical rainforests, deep valleys and streams, making the area ecologically significant.
Forest diversion covers 11.2-km stretch
The forest diversion proposal currently covers an approximately 11.2-km stretch of NH 73, extending from the Dakshina Kannada side of Charmadi village up to the Chikkamagaluru district border.
The proposed widening is intended to improve the highway corridor through the ghat section. However, the environmental representation has sought greater scrutiny of the consequences of diverting reserved forest land for the project.
Vivek has urged the authorities to consider the ecological sensitivity of the area while examining the proposal and to ensure that all necessary statutory procedures are completed before forest diversion and tree felling are permitted.
Concerns over future widening
The representation has also raised concerns over the possibility of additional forest diversion and tree felling if road-widening works towards Mudigere are subsequently taken up as separate packages.
It states that instead of treating the corridor as one integrated project, the road-widening works could potentially be implemented in stages through separate packages.
According to the representation, this possibility requires scrutiny because successive packages could result in further use of forest land and additional tree felling beyond the currently proposed stretch.
The environmentalist has therefore sought transparency in the decision-making process and public scrutiny of the forest diversion proposal before work affecting the reserved forest begins.
Wildlife movement remains a key concern
The presence of elephants and the identification of the area as part of a tiger corridor have emerged as key issues in the representation.
The site inspection report’s observation regarding regular elephant movement has particularly highlighted the need to maintain wildlife connectivity while planning any road infrastructure through the forest.
The representation has called for the wildlife-related aspects of the project to be addressed alongside the forest diversion proposal, including appropriate mitigation measures and a plan to protect animal movement corridors.
The concerns come against the backdrop of continuing infrastructure development through the Western Ghats, where road expansion projects have to balance connectivity requirements with the conservation of ecologically sensitive forest landscapes.
The representation seeks public scrutiny of the proposed diversion of nearly 39 acres of reserved forest land and the felling of around 7,540 trees before the project proceeds further.