Scientists, conservationists say results will have a CATASTROPHIC effect - Oherald

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21 Jun 2020  |   05:28am IST

Scientists, conservationists say results will have a CATASTROPHIC effect

Scientists, conservationists say results will have a CATASTROPHIC effect

round 150 scientists, academicians, conservationists, artists, allied professionals as well as concerned citizens have raised objections to the diversion of forest land for three major projects that are planned through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. 

The group, in a letter to Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park are treasure troves of flora and fauna, and is part of a larger contiguous forest and an important tiger corridor between Goa and the adjoining Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

They say these three projects – railway line double tracking, NH-4A highway widening, and laying of the transmission line – are likely to lead to multiple downstream effects of fragmentation of these fragile ecosystems. 

“The road and the railway track will create stark barriers that may lead to a rise in wild animal mortality. Movement of arboreal mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians is likely to be hindered by these barriers,” the letter reads. 

Further, it says, the laying of the transmission line would need felling of large old growth trees along its course, thereby removing not just trees but also disrupting plant-animal interactions (such as seed-dispersal and pollination) that provide ecosystem services to forests and humans. 

“The hill cutting with regards to the road and land filling with regards to the railway track, along with the deforestation itself, will lead to eroded soil being deposited in the rivers and streams,” they said. 

Additionally, the letter adds, increasing sediment load resulting from the removal of riparian vegetation is likely to negatively affect the survival of hill-stream fish. “Such water flowing downhill from this protected area will affect residents and farmers in villages such as Dharge and Bolkarne, who are dependent on these water resources. These forests that have existed for thousands of years are irreplaceable,” says the letter. 

Direct loss of biodiversity and the far-reaching impacts of habitat fragmentation will reduce the stability of the ecosystem and decrease the resilience of the forest, which is also required to deal with the effects of climate change, they say. 

“These three projects can only be evaluated through a rigorous cumulative impact assessment study of all three linear projects within one protected area and cannot be looked at in isolation by the MoEFCC and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). If these projects are cleared, they will have severe repercussions on wildlife and for the livelihoods and ecological security of the people of Goa,” they said. 

They also criticised the clearance of three projects by video-conferencing. They point out that such decisions about forests that are important to them, do not allow site-specific scrutiny to substantiate the facts, examine documents, or register the voices and opinions of stakeholders, in a fully democratic manner. 

“We hope that the concerns put forth will be considered seriously, especially given that this decision was taken during the COVID-19 lockdown, when this pandemic has been tied to the environmental degradation,” they say. 

Further, they add, “We urge that under your leadership, the MoEFCC and the honourable members of the NBWL will strongly reconsider these approvals in the interest of democracy to safeguard Goa’s biodiversity and ecological security.” 

The group has further said that in addition, 127 endemic plant species occur in this area. Besides the flora and fauna, these forests have fresh water streams that feed the main rivers including Goa’s lifeline, river Mandovi. 

This river is a major source of potable water and provides irrigation facilities, biotic and mineral resources and aids in travel of people and goods to different parts of the State, they point out.

“This area was marked as an Ecologically Sensitive Area by the Western Ghats Expert Ecology Panel that was appointed by your own Ministry. These forests have many sacred groves that have been protected by residents for centuries because of their association with many deities and are therefore of tremendous cultural and conservation importance,” they add. 

Also, they said that the social and economic significance of Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park also contributed to tourism-related revenue, the very backbone of Goa’s economy. 

“This protected area is a site for nature-based tourism with popular places such as Dudhsagar Falls, Tambdi Surla Falls, Devil’s Canyon and the 12th century Tambdi Surla Temple, each with popular treks leading up to them, are major tourist attractions that are all dependent on the environment sustained by this protected area as a whole. The hinterland nature-based tourism industry in this area is a growing revenue source for the State, and revenue mainstay during the monsoons when coastal tourism closes down,” they continue. 

Further, they say, a large proportion of the local population benefits from employment, which is directly dependent on the integrity of the natural landscape of the area. Fragmentation of this landscape is likely to create human-encroachments that are frequently seen because of linear intrusions, apart from increasing the chances of human-wildlife conflict. 



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