Mangaluru: A representation submitted to the Karnataka govt and concerned forest and wildlife authorities has raised concerns over the proposed widening of the Charmadi Ghat section of NH-73.Environmentalist Vivek M, who submitted a memorandum to senior officials of the central and state forest departments, stated that the proposal involves diverting nearly 39 acres of reserved forest, and felling a minimum of 7,540 trees. The principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Karnataka, recommended in-principle stage-I approval on Sept 10, he said.He alleged that the deputy conservator of forests, Mangalore division’s site inspection report records that the alignment passes through a tiger corridor, that wild elephants regularly traverse the area, and that wildlife mitigation measures are necessary. It also states that no wildlife clearance has been initiated, and no detailed wildlife mitigation plan has been submitted, despite the forest-diversion proposal being advanced.The proposed alignment passes through the Charmadi-Kanapady Reserve Forest and the Kudremukh-Pushpagiri tiger corridor linkage identified by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The area contains old-growth forest, deep valleys and streams, and is ecologically important to the wider Western Ghats landscape, Vivek said.A larger concern is the manner in which the widening is being proposed. The present forest diversion proposal covers only 11.2 km, from Charmadi village in Dakshina Kannada to the Chikkamagaluru district boundary.Further widening towards Mudigere is expected to involve additional forest diversion and tree loss through subsequent road widening packages. “This raises a concern that the project proponent may be pursuing the widening piecemeal, rather than as a single corridor-level intervention, in a manner that could limit public and regulatory scrutiny of the cumulative forest loss and environmental impact,” he noted.“We do not question the need for road safety and connectivity on Charmadi Ghat. We ask for alternatives, minimum forest diversion, wildlife clearance and mitigation, and landslide and geological assessment to be addressed before the forest clearance proceeds to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change,” Vivek said.
