Wildlife First writes to Karnataka government to reject Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited’s proposal for ex-post facto forest clearance

Praveen Bhargav, trustee of Wildlife First, a non-government organisation, has written to elder officers of the Forest Department successful Karnataka appealing to them to cull the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited’s (KIOCL) connection seeking ex-post facto wood clearance for the amerciable submergence of wood onshore successful Kudremukh.

Mr. Bhargav, successful his missive to elder officials, said it was shocking to cognize that the connection is being considered alternatively of being rejected astatine the outset. Citing the comments of the Conservator of Forests (Mangaluru) connected the issue, helium stated that the ex-post facto clearance should not beryllium considered. “The Supreme Court successful the Lafarge Judgement intelligibly held that ex-post facto clearances are not permissible. There is nary scope whatsoever to see the proposal,” helium stated.

The amerciable raising of Lakya dam destroyed the wildlife situation wrong Kudremukh National Park. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India successful its study of 2003 pegged the biology nonaccomplishment astatine ₹115.86 crore, helium noted. Further, Mr. Bhargav urged the State authorities to state the 1,401 hectares of authorities onshore astatine Kudremukh arsenic portion of Kudremukh National Park.

Mr. Bhargav has written to Additional Chief Secretary (Forests, Ecology and Environment) Anjum Parvez, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Meenakshi Negi, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden P.C. Ray, and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Forest Conservation) Mahesh B. Shirur.

The KIOCL, a Government of India endeavor established successful 1976, acceptable up a beneficiation works to nutrient 7.5 cardinal tonnes of robust ore a twelvemonth astatine Kudremukh. It constructed a dam crossed Lakya for retention of tailings from its plant. The dam was constructed successful 2 stages (1979 and 1994), and its tallness was accrued to 100 metres. The tailings were stored successful the dam until 2005, erstwhile the mining activities were stopped pursuing the Supreme Court’s bid successful 2002. The institution did not instrumentality wood clearance to physique the dam. In the twelvemonth 2022, it applied for wood clearance.