This story is from January 20, 2022

Stalled irri project springs to life, ‘death knell’ for tigers

Stalled irri project springs to life, ‘death knell’ for tigers
The height of Asolamendha dam in Mul-Saoli on Pathri river at Sindewahi in Chandrapur district is to be raised by 2.70m. The work needing diversion of 316ha forest land will cut crucial tiger corridors. WRD has started process to appoint consultant to secure forest nod

Nagpur: At a time when tigers are crying for space and facing worst-ever crisis with man-animal conflict at its peak, especially in Chandrapur district, the Water Resources Department (WRD) has revived the Asolamendha Renovation Project in Mul-Saoli, which will need the diversion of precious 316 hectares forest land, equivalent to 780 football fields.

The project cuts the tiger corridor between Tadoba-Indravati tiger reserves.
The project was listed with MoEFCC in 2019, but owing to tendering disputes it was put on the back burner.
On Wednesday, the WRD sought quotations to appoint a consultant to get forest clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for the stalled project.
A WRD official involved in the project in 2019 said, “The proposal involves the renovation of Asolamendha dam on Pathri river in Sindewahi by raising the dam height by 2.70 metre. It is true that the forest diversion for canals and submergence areas will cut the tiger corridor. The project also needs 628 hectares of non-forest land. It will also submerge around 18 villages.”

Asolamendha executive engineer Jitendra Churkhede said, “The project cost is around `700-800 crore and revised estimates are being prepared. Appointing a consultant is the first step. The project will increase irrigation potential from 10,000 hectares to 54,000 hectares.”
As per Churkhed, as the project doesn’t fall in buffer and ESZ of Tadoba, “it will not need environment and wildlife clearance”. “Wildlife mitigation measures will have to be taken by constructing overpasses. Compensatory afforestation will be done on irrigation land in Bembla in Yavatmal,” he said.
Wildlife experts and conservationists fear the dam potential is being increased for sugarcane cultivation in Chandrapur and also for industrial units and power plants. Asolamendha is the tail end of Gosikhurd but farmers are not reaping irrigation benefits as promised.
“The project will spell a death knell for tigers that disperse from Tadoba-Sindewahi-Mul towards Gadchiroli-Chhattisgarh through Asolamendha. The area of submergence is a tiger-bearing forest. When tigers are crying for space in Chandrapur and conflict is raging, sacrificing 316 hectares rich forest should be the last thing to be considered by the forest department and MoEFCC,” said Kishor Rithe, ex-member Standing Committee, NBWL.
Gadchiroli honorary wildlife warden Uday Patel said, “The canal network will increase, blocking movement of wild animals towards Gadchiroli and will cause man-animal conflict. Of the 82 deaths in wildlife animal attacks in the state, over 50% are in Chandrapur. The irrigation department has still not taken wildlife mitigation measures on Gosikhurd canals cutting tiger corridor between Tadoba and Bramhapuri.”
“At a time when the forest department is working on a proposal to translocate tigers from Chandrapur due to their growing numbers, diverting vast tract of forest land is unjustified,” says state wildlife board member Bandu Dhotre.
DAM-NING DEVELOPMENT
* Area of forest land proposed for diversion 316 hectares
* Non-forest land required 629 hectares
* Forest lands proposed to be diverted are itself tiger breeding areas — Bramhapuri (169ha), Chandrapur (127ha) and Central Chanda (21ha)
* Asolamendha is a medium project completed in 1914. It irrigates 9,919 hectares in Mul, Saoli, Gondpipari and Pombhurna tehsils
* After completion of Gosikhurd dam, additional water flowing through the Wainganga river will be stored in Asolamendha by diverting it through 99km-long Gosikhurd RBC
* The project was administratively approved in 1983 as one part of the Gosikhurd project
* In 2019, when the renovation proposal was submitted to MoEFCC, the project cost was pegged at Rs1.79 crore. Now, it is being estimated to be Rs700-800 crore
* The project will not only displace tigers, leopards and other animals but also 152 SC/ST and other families
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