By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE November 26, 2009: The Western Ghats Task Force has decided to chalk out a comprehensive plan for protecting the coastal bio-diversity and marine life in Karnataka.

The ecology of the three coastal districts - Dakshina Kananda, Udupi and Uttara Kannada would be protected by preparing a plan and implementing it. Several power and chemical industries in the region has damaged ecological imbalances in the region, Task Force Chairman Ananth Hegde Ashisara said.

Mangalore Chemical Fertilizers, Nagajuna Power Company, MRPL and naval ship yard at Uttara Kannada and several other proposed projects would destroy the rich fauna and flora if the steps were not taken.

The Centre for Ecological Studies of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, has been asked to conduct a study on carrying capacity of the Uttara Kananda district. Several industrial and defence projects has threatened the ecological balance in the district.

Speaking to presspersons here, he said the Task Force has opposed, in no uncertain terms, the 400-MW Gundia hydroelectric project planned in the heart of the Western Ghats. The Coastal Development Authority headed B Nagaraj Shetty, former minister, too had been preparing a plan to develop infrastructure in three coastal districts of Karnataka.

A meeting of environmentalists and officials of various government departments has been convened at Honnavar in Uttara Kananda district on January 1, 2010, for discussing strategies to be adopted for protection of the coast and bio-diversity in three districts.

Mr Ashisara, environmentalists, said that the task force, an initiative of the State Government with the objective of conservation of the Western Ghats, had communicated its stand to the Government and stressed on the impact of the project on the environment and ecology of the ghats, especially the irreversible damage to biodiversity, in its report to the Government.

A sum of Rs one crore has been released to the Task Force to develop 50 villages in the Malnad region as “green villages”. The “green villages” would be provided with solar energy and bio-fuel, he said.

The Western Ghats is listed one of the 18 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The task force had also opposed proposed power projects in Hanakon and Tadadi in Uttar Kannada district. "It is mandatory for the Government to abide by the laws framed for the conservation of forests and the environment," he said.

He said steps would be taken to revive Hoskere tank at a village near Kengeri on the outskirts of Bangalore with an estimated cost of Rs. 30 lakh. He said a meeting of the Task Force was held on Wednesday and took several decisions for protection of environment. A forest committee has been formed to develop 800 acres Hoskerehalli tank by recovering encroached lands and developing a medicinal park. The Forest Department has commenced a survey to recover the encroached tank-bed, he said.

The Dandeli West Coast Paper Mills has been causing damage to the environment and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has been asked to study the causes for acid rains in the region, the chairman said. He said the acid rainfall was reported twice in the last month due to the operations of Dandeli West Coast Paper Mills. Stating that this was a serious cause for further destruction of bio-diversity of Western Ghats, he said he had instructed the State Pollution Control Board to take suitable action against the factory for releasing affluents in the Kali river.

It was also decided to declare Hogarekanugiri in Chikamagalore district of Karnataka as a Natural Heritage site known for its biodiversity, he added.

A conference of scientists would be convened in Bangalore in January and village forest committees’ meet would be convened in Mysore, Sringeri and Gulbarga soon, the task force chief said.