Save Karnataka's forests from the mining mafia

Tigers pushed out for mines in Karnataka: India Today February 28, 2010

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/86089/Tigers+pushed+out+for+mines+in+Karnataka.html

K'taka:Tigers pushed out for mines Bangalore, February 28, 2010

http://m.indiatoday.in/itwapsite/story?sid=86089&secid=4

Minelords or Tigers or Money ? | Siasat

http://www.siasat.com/english/news/minelords-or-tigers-or-money

Here's one more reason why tigers are fast disappearing from India - minelords with limitless greed for leases and a state government that accedes to their demands.

Unmindful of the declining number of India's national animal and one of the world's severely endangered species, the Bellary mining cartel in Karnataka has been given the green signal by the state government to enter tiger habitats and exploit the mineralrich land for lucrative exports.

Last week, the B. S. Yeddyurappa-led government discreetly dereserved approximately 5,000 sq km of forest land in 13 districts without making any official announcement. This land consists of around 302 sq km of core forest area, including tiger habitats, in three districts - Mysore, Bellary and Shimoga. The minelords - one of whom, G. Janardhana Reddy, is ironically the state minister for tourism - have been effectively given permission for mining iron ore, chromite, black granite, manganese and kyanite in the dereserved areas.

The cabinet note regarding this decision states that the 302 sq km of dereserved core forests is a "bushy area" and "will be thrown open for mining of important mineral resources. The mining of such mineral resources will propel the economic growth of the state and provide employment to thousands of jobless people." This is seemingly untrue. The 302 sq km of dereserved area is, according to the state forests department, a core tiger habitat.

Karnataka is home to 20 per cent of the nation's tiger population. There are an estimated 290 tigers in the state's forests with nearly 100 of them in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

It appears that the government has specifically dereserved this forests area for mining due to the presence of rich mineral deposits.

In Mysore, the government has dereserved Bolegowdanakatte Reserve Forest (30 sq km), which is part of Naganapura Reserve Forest and had been recently added to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

These dereserved forests adjoin the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and are part of the Ecologically Sensitive Area ( ESA) around the protected area ( 10 km from the boundary). The decision to dereserve the forests also violates Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

A forest official said: "The mining site in Bolegowdanakatte Reserve Forest is close to the location where a tiger was found dead outside the Bandipur Tiger Reserve last week." In Shimoga, the Jedikatte Reserve Forest ( 6.6 sq km) close to the Bhadra Tiger Reserve has been dereserved. This again violates the ESA regulation threatening the tiger population.

Wildlife conservationists are shocked. "Bandipur Tiger Reserve is one of the last strongholds of tigers in the country and Bhadra Tiger Reserve has great potential to achieve higher tiger population density," said Sanjay Gubbi, assistant director ( Conservation and Policy), Wildlife Conservation Society of India ( WCSI). "Hence, the reserved areas in these forests need to be protected against developmental activities."

In Bellary, four reserve forest areas, where the endangered sloth bear is found, have been opened up for iron ore mining. These four blocks contain rich deposits of high - grade iron ore that can fetch up to $ 125 ( Rs 5,750) per tonne in the international market.

As many as 3,000 applications for mining lease grants are pending before the state government, including those of the Bellary Reddy brothers.

Iron ore leases are the most popular followed by manganese.

Several politicians in Karnataka, including those from the ruling BJP, are owners of big mining companies. For instance, the Bellary Reddy brothers manage the Obalapuram Mining Company or OMC.

Wildlife conservationists feel the government's decisions are influenced by the mining barons. They may have reason to believe so. Apart from the Reddy brothers, other minelords in the government and the assembly include legislators Anand Singh ( S. B. Minerals), Nagendra, Babu and former deputy mayor Puttaraju.

Former Congress ministers A. Veerabhadrappa, D. K. Shivakumar, Diwakar Babu, M. Y. Ghorpade and H. R. Gaviyappa, MP Anil Lad and MLA Santosh Lad are part of the mining industry in the state. Balakrishne Gowda and Ashwath hail from the same party - Janata Dal ( S), headed by former prime minister H. D. Deve Gowda.

The government defended the move to dereserve core forests.

"There's nothing illegal," Karnataka home minister V. S. Acharya said. "Opening up mining will provide employment to the rural masses."

The conservationists will take the matter to court as they say it violates a Supreme Court order banning mining inside forest areas.

MP against mining in reserve forests - Mysore - City - The Times Times of India Mar 01, 2010, 10.53pm IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/MP-against-mining-in-reserve-forests/articleshow/5631260.cms

The mining area is located in the vicinity of heavily forested area is the habitat for the tigers and elephants.

The Congress MP Vishwanath wondered as to how the permission to mine in the forested area is accorded when the world leaders are discussing global warming. This could be because of reasons which are out of his control, he said indicating mining mafia.

Move to allow mining in reserve forests near Bandipur opposed The Hindu, Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010

http://www.thehindu.com/2010/03/02/stories/2010030256820300.htm

Decision betrays lack of concern for law

The proposed mining area was very close to the Bandipur National Park which was a tiger reserve and that the decision came at a time when the Karnataka High Court upheld the ban on movement of night-time traffic through the reserve. When this is the situation, people of the region are unable to understand the decision of the State Government.

The proposed mining area was near Bandipur, Nagarahole and BRT Hill, and two important rivers which may get polluted.

How mining nea Bandipur can harm wildlife - Mysore - City Times of India Mar 06, 2010, 10.48pm

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/How-mining-nea-Bandipur-can-harm-wildlife/articleshow/5638467.cms

State govt urged to revoke mining order at B Katte - Deccan Herald

Revoke decision in the Cabinet, urge NGOs Deccan Herald

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/58214/state-govt-urged-revoke-mining.html

Mysore MP Vishwanath termed CM's reply to the poser of Gundlupet MLA H S Mahadevaprasad in the Session on mining issue as a 'tricky answer' that lacks clarity and commitment. The CM had replied that he had not given permission for mining at 11 square kms (coming under Gundlupet constituency) of the total 32 square kms of land allowed for mining at Bolegowdanakatte.

The activists came down heavily on the announcement of the Chief Minister that he had not given permission for mining at Bolegowdanakatte even as the government had announced that mining would be permitted in some areas including Bolegowdanakatte.

Strong opposition to mining in Mysore The Hindu Tue, Mar 16, 2010

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/16/stories/2010031660020200.htm

Campaign planned in Chamarajanagar and Mysore districts
March 30 deadline set for Government to clear the air
We will not allow Mysore to be another Bellary

Gowdike Chennappa, a farmer from Topegowdanapura sought to know why the Government, which was conducting "Grameena Dasara", was bent upon ruining rural life altogether.

Speaking on behalf of the people of the villages, he declared that farmers would fight till government declared that it would stop the mining in part of Mysore and Chamarajanagar.

Expressing his doubts on the genuineness of the Government's statement, Mr. Vishwanath said that the Government was trying to misguide the people.
Bellary was the live example of what would happen if mining was allowed. "We should not allow the Government to convert Mysore into Bellary,' he said.

Mining row: MGP says govt hasn't accorded permission Times of India
Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 09.58pm IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Mining-row-MGP-says-govt-hasnt-accorded-permission/articleshow/5716892.cms

Amidst demands seeking the state government to clear the air on mining in the tiger reserve of Bandipur national park, the Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) has contended that a portion of the forest has been dereserved for mining purpose. But the state government has not accorded permission for mining, it stated, adding another twist to the controversy.

Anti-mining lobbyists led by Mysore MP H Vishwanth are seeking the BJP government to come clean on the issue.

The MGP pointing at the outcry against mining, said there are some common misconceptions about it. The state government, through a cabinet decision taken on February 20, dereserved a portion of the forest near Bolegowdanakatte for mining magnesite, it said. But it stated that the government has not given permission for mining and has no power to divert forest land for non-forestry use. It is the domain of the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), the MGP stated pointing out that the state government has no power to allow or disallow mining anywhere.

It stated that the MP, who is in the forefront of the anti-mining movement, can persuade the Congress-led UPA government not to dereserve forest land for mining and not to issue mining licences. This will solve the problem.

If still the state government proceeds in this direction on its own, legal avenues are available. The MGP stated that the SC and the high courts have time and again curbed such adventurism by state governments in the matter of mining.