The Hindu

Mangalore, Dec 15: A mysterious land filling activity is going on in the mangroves along the stretch from Baikampady Industrial Estate to Jokatte railway crossing. Repeated visits to the site revealed that this activity has been going on after sunset. In the last ten days, since the land filling started, almost five acres of precious wetlands and mangroves have been flattened out. The mangroves are home to many species of plants, fish and bird and although it is quite a distance from the seashore, it experiences the tidal effect of the sea.

The area is a part of the Coastal Regulatory Zone. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), in its regulatory notification, restricts, "dressing or altering of sand dunes, hills, natural features, including landscape changes."

J.N. Patil, regional director of Environment in Mangalore, told The Hindu: "We are yet to identify who is behind the land filling. The issue is resting with Deputy Commissioner's office". He expressed concern over the attempts to douse the mangroves. "This area is an environmentally sensitive zone and must be protected at all costs. We want to make it a protected, reserve forest area," he added.

Background

The land belongs to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) and the board sources reveal that it was acquired in 1997-98 for the controversial Nagarjuna Thermal Power Project. After the project fell through, the land was re-allotted to a company, Jaiprakash Steel Corporation. The plans of this company too didn't materialise.

More recently, the Mangalore Special Economic Zone Limited tried to acquire the land but had to drop the idea after it was denied permission on the grounds that the area fell under Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ).

Unidentified

Dozens of lorries are involved in dumping soil and burying the mangroves. The activity that starts after dusk continues till the wee hours of the following day. Although the activity is conducted only by night, because of its location being along the main road, it is impossible to go unnoticed. However, nobody seems to know who has sanctioned the landfill project, not even the KIADB officials.

The labour contractors at work on the site were initially hostile towards The Hindu team till late evening on Thursday. But they finally revealed that the land was being filled to build a playground. "That is what we have been told," said one of the contractors who refused to be identified. The contractors refused to divulge who had assigned them the task.

Mr. Patil says he had intimated the Deputy Commissioner's office about the nefarious activity almost a week ago. The district administration is trying to identify the people behind the activity, even as tons of soil keep mounting on the area by each day, smothering the life out of this fragile ecosystem.