Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 17: National Green Tribunal (green bench) has sought a study report from Karnataka government on the trees that have already been cut down, number of more trees which will be felled, and affect of the project on wildlife and other things.

Justice Swatanter Kumar, who heads the green bench, asked a team comprising senior official of local forest and environment department, to visit the project area on January 2 and 3 along with petitioners in the case and the team of defendants , when the case came up for consideration before the bench on Friday December 16. An integrated report containing details of trees already cut down, number of trees planned to be uprooted for the project, total forest area that will get destroyed by the project, and the impact on environment and wildlife. It has set deadline of January 14 for tabling of this report before the green bench. It also has fixed the next date of hearing to January 16.

The advocate appointed to represent the government who was to take a stance in favour of the project, was found to be grappling with the issue of number of trees that have already been felled and also how many trees will henceforth be required to be felled. Although he sought details from officials who were present there, there was no clarity o n this issue. While the advocate claimed that 40 trees have been felled and 500 saplings have been planted, the complainants stood their ground, stating that this number is not right and a large number of trees have been cut down. Because of this confusion, the green bench decided to get detailed report on the issue.

Advocate, M C Mehra, representing complainant, Purushotham Chitrapur, drew the attention of the presiding officer of the bench that Netravati happens to be one among nine rivers from the country that have been considered holy. "In this list, River Ganga comes first, while River Netravati is listed at the fag end. Karnataka government plans to divert this river, which is currently flowing westward, to the east, by spending Rs 13,000 crore. Already 15,000 trees have been cut down for the project," he stated.

Another advocate, Prince Issac, who represented K N Somashekhar, drew the attention of the bench to the fact the government has not been providing details of trees cut, saplings planted etc even after these details were sought under Right to Information Act. He said that dams are planned to be built across four subsidiaries of River Netravati in an effort to change the course of the river. "Although the government claims this to be drinking water project meant to benefit Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara and Bengaluru rural districts, the project clandestinely plans to supply water to 500 minor irrigation projects," he argued. He further stressed that Karnataka was wrong in arguing that although the area is ecologically sensitive, being a drinking water project, it is exempted from getting permission from department of environment.

Advocate representing Karnataka tried to drive home the point that this is a project to lift water that flows into the sea and gets wasted, and meet drinking water needs of districts located in the east. Justice Swatanter Kumar wanted ot know as to why the state wants to cut down trees, and why forest area is being inundated for drinking water projects. He also wanted to know the number of trees being felled. He asserted that his worry is about the trees, and not the viability of the project.