Madikeri: The entire district must be declared as environmentally sensitive , keeping in view, the life line of south “River Cauvery” into account, urged Coorg Wildlife Society (CWS) President Colonel C P Muthanna.
Throwing light on various problems of the district through a power point presentation at the CWS auditorium, Colonel Muthanna said all major projects were environmentally destructive. He named the four-lane national highway, proposed railway line between Mysuru and Kushalanagar and high tension power line running through forests in south Kodagu will result in the total destruction of the environment and those supporting these projects are against their own land, he stated. The budgeted amount of Rs 1857 Crore towards major projects will in turn be used for the destruction of environment, he expressed.
River Cauvery alone feeds 8 crore people and caters to 600 major and minor industries in south and 70 percent of storage in Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS)dam comes from Kodagu district. In such a scenario, only discussions and debates are held without any concrete action to safeguard the environment, he alleged.
The haphazard development has led to depletion in the ground water levels primarily due to the land under paddy cultivation being converted for commercial activity. The mushrooming resorts without purpose have not brought any substantial return as last year, only 13 lakh tourists visited the district , which has a population of 5.5 lakhs , he stated.
The hour has come to halt the haphazard development as the district does not need that, he added.
