Forest officials diverted ’Environment Ministry’ team on Yettinahole project tree cutting

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 06, 2017: K.N. Somashekhar, State convener of Western Ghats Samrakshana Horata Vedike, has alleged that the Hassan Forest Department officials misled the team of officers from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, who visited the Yettinahole project sites in Sakaleshpur taluk as per the direction of the National Green Tribunal.

 

The forest officers had an understanding with the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL), the project implementing agency, and tried to hush-up the mass tree cutting done by the KNNL in the Western Ghats, alleged Somashekhar in a media conference here on Jan 5, Thursday.

The NGT in its August 29, 2016 order had directed the KNNL to take up compensatory afforestation at the rate of 10 saplings for each tree cut for the project. “We have records to show that the KNNL has not taken up compensatory afforestation as per the NGT orders. However, the Forest Department officers are supporting the KNNL to cover up its misdeeds,” he said.

Prince Issac, the advocate for Somashekhar in NGT, said as per the State Government’s statement before the tribunal 6,000 trees were cut in the project sites.

However, during the visit, the Forest Department officers gave some figures, according to which a number of trees cut so far are more than 9,000.

“We have documented the  evidence and will present them before the NGT in the next hearing. The NGT’s previous orders have been violated repeatedly,” he said.

Further, Somashekhar said that he would file complaints with the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department against the officers of KNNL and others engaged in the execution of the controversial project.