Based on the minutes of the eleventh assembly of the Setting Ministry's Forest Advisory Committee held on October 27, the proposed undertaking space lies inside the Sharavathy Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Sanctuary, which is situated within the central areas of the Western Ghats.
The committee mentioned the undertaking includes the felling of greater than 15,000 timber, lots of that are endemic to the Western Ghats, one of many 34 world biodiversity hotspots. It mentioned the forest tracts fall below “eco-class 1 and eco-class 3” with cover densities of 0.5 and 0.2.
The world has “climax forests of tropical moist evergreen, semi-evergreen and shola grasslands”, that are “extremely weak and sophisticated ecosystems”, which, “if destroyed, can't be restored to their unique state”.
The minutes mentioned the undertaking website helps Lion-Tailed Macaque, Tiger, Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Canines, King Cobra, Malabar Big Squirrel and different uncommon and endemic species.
It referred to a wildlife census that recorded 730 Lion-Tailed Macaques within the Sharavathy Valley Sanctuary and warned that “lack of cover and habitat would intensify this fragmentation, posing a critical danger to the survival of LTMs”.The panel recorded that the compensatory afforestation website supplied by the undertaking proponent won't be able to compensate for the lack of habitat of the Lion-Tailed Macaque and that “moist evergreen forests are complicated ecosystems and are fairly troublesome to copy”.The committee examined the engineering design and mentioned the undertaking includes two reservoirs, tunnels as much as 3.2 km lengthy, excavation to depths of as much as 500 metres, and drilling and blasting for underground works.
It mentioned the realm falls in Seismic Zone 3 and that the mix of slope chopping, blasting and heavy monsoon rainfall may worsen landslide and erosion dangers.
It warned that such work may be disastrous not solely to the ecology of the realm but additionally to human habitations.
The minutes mentioned the Deputy Inspector Normal of Forests (Central), Regional Workplace Bengaluru, “has not really useful the proposal” due to its location contained in the Sharavathy Valley Sanctuary and the ecological sensitivity of the central Western Ghats.
The Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka additionally raised objections, warning that implementation of the undertaking may cause “huge harm” to the natural world of the panorama.
The FAC cited his remark that the ecological fallout far outweighs the financial advantages that could be accrued by commissioning this undertaking.
The committee additional mentioned that transmission line routes proposed for the evacuation of energy prima facie look like in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and that forest clearance for these traces just isn't clear.
Based on the minutes, the committee expressed concern over the proposed compensatory afforestation areas, saying that “the CA websites proposed are ecologically completely different from the moist evergreen forests being misplaced.”
It mentioned the undertaking proponent should put together a scientifically designed wildlife mitigation plan and conduct an in depth hydrological examine earlier than the proposal may be thought of.
The FAC directed that tree felling be averted or decreased to the naked minimal and that the structure of the undertaking shall be finalised in session with the chief wildlife warden and as per the accredited wildlife administration plan.
After detailed deliberations, the committee determined to defer the proposal and sought extra info and clarifications from the state authorities and the consumer company.
