BENGALURU: Even as wildlife activists allege construction of an illegal road from Palar Anti Poaching Camp (APC) to Nagamalai village in the Gopinatham Range of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, the state Forest department denies and said no such work has been taken up as any construction activity inside a wildlife sanctuary needs the permission from the state and central Wildlife Boards. Only closure of trenches and levelling work is being done to facilitate the passing of a borewell machine as the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) is providing two borewells to the drought-hit villages inside the sanctuary.
According to a wildlife NGO, construction of a new road is going on rapidly from Palar APC until Padasalanatta and from Padasalanatta to Nagamalai village. Shankar of Sahyadri Shrunga said, “An existing foot trail is being developed as a new road without seeking any permission.
Construction of new roads inside wildlife sanctuary must seek nod from the state Wildlife Board and National Board for Wildlife among others.
The subcommittee report makes it clear that status-quo of the roads must be maintained and no new roads should be allowed to come up.”
The state Forest department maintains that no new road is being built but a temporary work involving closure of trenches and levelling a raised stretch of 4-5 kilometers from Palar APC to Padasalanatta is being done. As the borewell machines cannot take a turn on the raised sections, the ZP has been allowed to take up this work.
Speaking to Express, Gopinatham Range Forest Officer Shankar said, “The work which is being done does not need permission from the wildlife boards and so we have allowed the ZP to carry on closure of three trenches and levelling of the ground for the borewell machine to pass on the turnings.
We have in fact, disallowed any other work from Padasalanatta to Nagamalai village. We have allowed the ZP to dig two borewells on a patta land which belongs to the villagers.”
However, activists alleged that this construction activity will lead to increased tourism pressure on this forest patch as Nagamalai temple visitors will tend to use this new road. Additionally, it will also increase the movement of vehicles from Tamil Nadu in this stretch.