Bengaluru: Restoration work has just begun in Sandur, the taluka most affected by mining in Karnataka, and the forest department has received a fresh proposal to clear 29,400 trees to turn 150 acres of virgin forest in the Ramanadurga range into an iron ore bowl. The department last month began a survey of green areas north of Sandur to count the trees, raising concerns among activists who have been fighting against illegal mining and for the preservation of the remaining forestland for nearly two decades. Documents obtained by DH revealed that Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant Ltd (VISL) have proposed to mine in the area in a project submitted to the forest department as a necessary undertaking for VISL’s survival. A total of 29,400 trees have been counted in the 150-acre forest block, which will be cleared after the proposal gets approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Most of the trees identified are native species and support a diverse fauna that has already suffered the harmful effects of mining in the surrounding areas.
Sandur-based activist Srishaila Aladahalli, a member of the NGO Samaj Parivartan Samudaya, said the dwindling greenery has not only harmed the habitats of wildlife recorded in the area (sloth bear, leopard, spotted deer, blackbuck, wolf, fox and others) but also affected the health and well-being of people. “We have seen large-scale degradation of forests. Earlier, it was illegal mining. Now the destruction has been made legal. Why is the government trying to turn virgin forests into a dust bowl instead of paying attention to areas that have already been destroyed?” she asked. Recently, the Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation approved four eco-restoration projects in Sandur taluk with a total outlay of Rs 135.71 crore. These works include planting about 2 lakh saplings in the southern and northern areas of Sandur.
“They have cut down fully grown trees and a decade later, they are spending over Rs 100 crore to plant saplings. We urge the government not to start any project until these saplings become trees. Apart from protecting flora and fauna, we need these last remaining patches of forests for clean air and water,” he said. Ballari Deputy Forest Conservator Sandeep H Suryavanshi said the project has been proposed for approval from the department as per rules. “We are yet to receive a detailed report. All proposals will be reviewed as per the law before the ministry takes a decision,” he said.
