Charmadi Ghat: 7,540 trees proposed for felling for NH 73 widening; environmentalists seek scrutiny

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 23, 2026: Around 7,540 trees spread across nearly 39 acres of reserved forest land have been proposed for felling as part of the widening of National Highway 73 in the Charmadi Ghat region. Environmentalist Vivek M of Mangaluru has urged senior officials of the Central and Karnataka forest departments to subject the proposal to public scrutiny before any trees are felled.

In his representation, Vivek outlined details of the project and said the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Karnataka, had recommended in-principle Stage-I approval on September 10.

According to the site inspection report of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mangaluru Division, the proposed road passes through a tiger corridor. The report notes that elephants regularly move through the area and recommends measures to ensure their unhindered movement.

However, the representation points out that the wildlife clearance process has not yet been initiated and that no detailed plan to mitigate the project’s impact on wildlife has been submitted at this stage.

The proposed road passes through the Charmadi-Kanapadi Reserved Forest and a connecting stretch of the Kudremukh-Pushpagiri Tiger Corridor, identified by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The area comprises naturally grown tropical rainforests, deep valleys and streams.

The forest diversion proposal covers an 11.2-km stretch, extending from Charmadi village on the Dakshina Kannada side up to the Chikkamagaluru district border.

The representation has also raised concerns over possible additional forest diversion and tree felling if road-widening works towards Mudigere are taken up later as separate project packages.

According to the representation, implementing the corridor in stages through separate packages could potentially lead to further road widening and forest use in the future. It has therefore sought greater scrutiny of the proposal and its potential environmental impact before approvals are granted.