BENGALURU: With Shivamogga Wildlife Division carrying out non forest activities in critical habitats of two of its wildlife sanctuaries – Shettihalli and the Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Macaque Sanctuary - activists are up in arms and say that any road works or even its repairs sans permission violates the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Forest officials counter and say that no new road work has been taken up and an existing stretch of one kilometer is being strengthened in Shettihalli while in Sharavathi, a stretch of mud road is being built.
Chitrashettihalli and Shettihalli are twin villages located inside the Shettihalli Sanctuary in Shivamogga district. Even today 113 families live in the core area of the Sanctuary. However, most of them have given their consent to district authorities for relocation outside the sanctuary. Work on repairing a section of the 7 KM road [that connects these twin villages to Shivamogga city] was taken up from MLA grants even though the families are waiting to move out.
Wildlife conservationist and activist Akhilesh Chipli adds, “It is a complete non-forest activity within the sanctuary. These road works have been taken up without getting any clearance. It is a blatant violation of the WPA, 1972. Why have the forest officials taken up this work when most of the families have given consent to move out? This is an attempt to stop the relocation project as also utilize the grant funds within March even for an illegal activity.”
The Sharavathi Sanctuary recently notified for protecting the critically endangered Lion Tailed Macaques, is also witnessing road works in its critical habitat. Activists say that deep inside the Sharavathi Valley, a hill has been cut to build a road for 15-20 families residing here. This too has no sanction while the work continues inside the LTM habitat. Speaking to TNIE, I M Nagaraj, DCF Shivamogga (Wildlife Division) said, “This road has been in existence for decades now and being used by people living inside the sanctuary. Even last year - three kilometers of the road was repaired which nobody opposed. This time, it is only one kilometer and is being done from grants from the MLA. It is only a temporary structure which will be washed away during the monsoons. With request being made to the MLA - funds were sanctioned as people living here were finding it difficult. As far as Sharavathi is concerned – a kuchha mud road is being filled up to help families living here and no jelly stone is being used.”Activists submitted a complaint to the chief wildlife warden and called for immediate stoppage of these road works.