Chikkamagaluru: Only a couple of months ago forest officials had refused to permit laying of a pipeline through forests for supply of water to Kalasa town in Chikkmagaluru district, but now their silence over a pipeline being laid to carry gas from Mangaluru to Bengaluru, which could destroy a large number of trees enroute, is not going down well with eco activists here.
Strongly objecting to the gas pipeline work in progress in Mudigere, vice-president of a local organisation, Karnataka Dwani , Horatti Raghu, says the pipeline , which will run for a distance of about 384 kms from Mangaluru to Bengaluru via villages of Mudigere, Sakleshpur, Hassan and Tumkur , will result in the loss of about 2,000 trees along the way, and lead to more human-animal conflict in the region.
“When there is a hue and cry over saving the Western Ghats , how can the work be allowed to begin on the pipeline? When forest officials objected to the water pipeline for Kalasa about two-and-a -half months back, why are they silent now?” he demands. The activist has written to Chikkamagaluru Deputy Commissioner and minister for environment and forests, Ramanath Rai about his concerns, but has received no response.
When contacted, forest officials of Mudigere said the work on the gas pipeline had been cleared by the forest and environment ministry in New Delhi and they could do nothing about it. “We are also unhappy over the damage it will cause,” they admitted, estimating that around 400 trees could be felled in Mudigere alone for the project.
