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CITY
BANGALORE FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013
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The South Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal last week constituted a fact-finding committee to determine the ecological and environmental consequences of largescale diversion of forest land to defence, nuclear and industrial projects in Chitradurga. What is shocking is that all the land diversion had taken place in absolute secrecy and land was thrown away for a pittance, writes Subir Ghosh
GrassLANDgrab! W
HEN a bunch of harried villagers touched base with a group of activists in early December last year, it took time for the latter to let matters sink in. The villagers had brought in news about how they were losing out their pasture land to so-called infrastructure projects, and gradually being deprived of their livelihoods too. The villagers in question were from the Challakere taluk of Chitradurga district, and the activists included those from city-based Environment Support Group (ESG). At that time, no one had any clue what was going on in that taluk, some 200km from Bangalore. It was only in the second half of January that Leo Saldanha of ESG and his colleagues were able to visit Challakere to take stock of things. It did take time to piece things together. What Saldanha and others ended up with was big — certainly in terms of the land that was involved. They figured out that some 10,000 acres of Amrit Mahal kaval (traditional pasture grassland ecosystems and district forests) had been diverted for a variety of defence, nuclear, industrial and infrastructure projects. If these facts were not flabbergasting enough, what did come as the shocker of them all was the revelation that all the project proponents had been provided with ecologically precious land at a pittance — Rs 30,00035,000 per acre. Quite a gift, that. All this diversion of forest land had taken place between 2008 and 2010, and yet no one in the public domain had any clue about the grand designs of the authorities. It was as if pains had been taken to ensure that matters remained in the dark. Surreptitiously, one might say. The entire exercise had been undertaken secretively and without any consent from panchayats or local communities, and in comprehensive violation of laws protecting forests, biodiversity, wetlands, environment, etc. In February, on behalf of the local impacted communities, ESG approached the National Green Tribunal (South Zone) questioning the diversion of the grassland ecosystems to a variety of high impact nuclear, defence, industrial and infrastructure developments. The applicants prayed for interim relief of stay on the ongoing activities and for allowing access to grazing pastures for local pastoralists. The Tribunal repeatedly sought the response of the Karnataka government and Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), including even directing the state's principal secretary for the environment department to appear in person on
March 13. The directions went unheeded. Finally, the Tribunal on March 21 set up a two-member expert committee to study the ecological and environmental consequences of the diversion of land that had taken place in the area. The bench comprising Justice M Chockalingam and Prof R Nagendran, in fact, observed, "in the considered opinion of the Tribunal, the counter of the respondents have to be taken into consideration before deciding the question whether to grant an order of interim relief or not and hence, (the case hearing) has got to be adjourned granting time till April 15, 2013 to file their counter. It is made clear that if the counter is not filed by any of the respondents, it will be taken that they have no counter to offer.” The experts would be S Ravichandra Reddy, retired professor of ecology with Bangalore University, and KV Anantharaman,
deputy director with the Central Silk Board, Bangalore. The facilities in the eye of the storm include a nuclear enrichment centre, a full-fledged airport and drone testing facility, a synchroton, a variety of manufacturing industries, and a space technology centre. All these have a significant and irreversible impact on the environment and biodiversity, and on local impacted communities, as they are classified as High Impact 'Red Category' projects by environmental regulatory authorities. All these projects, ESG contends, have been sanctioned throwing all norms to the winds. In doing so, the Karnataka government blatantly violated provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, Forest Conservation Act, 1980, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1980, Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, Biological Diversity Act, 2002, Panchayat Raj Act, 1992, Nagarpalika Act, 1992, Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, and various other laws relating to land use planning, planned and democratic development for securing the equitable
THE REGION Chitradurga district falls in the semi-arid region of central Karnataka and is known to be a district that is constantly affected by long periods of drought and minimal water security. The region impacted by the projects receives very low rainfall, which averages to 45 cm annually. Communities who have survived extreme weather and climatic conditions have done so by wise and intelligent use of soil, water, forests, grasslands and such other natural resources. With no perennial river here, water is an
extremely critical determinant of human activity. Pastoral and agrarian communities that have thrived in such conditions have done so over generations by building a variety of traditional and cultural norms in the use and access of natural resources that have promoted harmonious co-existence with variety of wild fauna and flora. Access to commons has been a fundamental prerequisite and determinant to the survival of these communities and continued evolution of wild flora and fauna.
rights of all. To start with, it is the land itself which comes into the spotlight by default. All kaval lands in Karnataka fall under the ambit of Rule 33 of the Karnataka State Forest Rules, 1969, which says, “The rules for the management of district forests shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to Amrit Mahal Kavals which mean and include the land assigned by the government for the pasturage of Amrit Mahal cattle owned by the government.” This memory recall itself means that the grasslands, that are designated as district forests, have been diverted to non-forest purposes in absolute contravention of Forest Conservation Act 1980, Forest Rights Act 2006, and other applicable laws. Unconfirmed reports suggest that more such land and abutting areas are likely to be diverted for subsequent urbanisation and infrastructure development. According to ESG, environmental and social consequences of such transfer and diversion of grasslands have not in the least been surveyed, appreciated and understood as is mandated by the Environment Protection Act 1986, the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Biological Diversity Act 2002, Forest Conservation Act 1980, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981. Those who have benefited from this include the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. In simple terms, these are not organisations that one would to take head-on. The DRDO is already said to have built a 12 feet high wall, now running to a length of 28km. The IISc too has set up a wide range of infrastructure and commenced research and extension operations. The Karnataka Housing Board also has begun forming residential layouts. Work's in progress there. Too many questions abound — from the alleged violations of environmental and revenue laws to the apparent secrecy with which the deals were conducted. It is not the illegalities alone that need to be questioned; it is the terrain itself that has been in dire need of protection — needless to say, by the state government itself. It is common knowledge that these ecologically sensitive grassland ecosystems serve as a special and critical habitat to a variety of flora and fauna. Large herds of the highly
THE CATTLE
(Top): Amrit Mahal cattle grazing in the Amrit Mahal kaval pastures at Challakere taluk, Chitradurga district (Above): About 28 km of high walls have been built around the Amrit Mahal kaval blocking access to the pastures. Pics courtesy: Arjun Swaminathan
HOW THE LAND IN NUMBERS STACKS UP Purpose
Organisation
Village name
Extent of land in acres
Defence Research Development Organisation
Varavu kaval and Khudapura
4000 and 290 respectively (total 4290)
Advanced R&D complex, a 3.5 km runway and test centre for longendurance ( 48-72 hours) UAVs and UCAVs
Indian Institute of Science
Khudapura
1500
Synchrotron, Energy Research Centre and Advanced Aerospace Research Centre
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Ullarti kaval and Khudapura
1410 and 400 respectively (total 1810)
Special Material Enrichment Facility (Uranium)
Indian Space Research Organisation
Ullarti kaval and Khudapura
473 and 100 respectively (total 573)
Spacecraft technologies
Karnataka Small Scale Industries Development Corporation
Ullarti kaval and Khudapura
250 and 50 respectively (total 300)
Various industrial ancillary units
Sagitaur Ventures India Pvt Ltd
Khudapura
1250
Integrated Solar Park Development along with Grid Connected 25 MW Solar PV Power Project Source:Environment Support Group (ESG)
threatened antelope species such as the black buck (Antilope cervicapra) graze these grasslands, and the ecosystem is a typical habitat for critically endangered birds such as great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) and lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus). These grassland ecosystems have for centuries supported the rearing of drought tolerant locally-bred variety of Amrit Mahal cattle, besides providing a wide range of livelihoods opportunities for communities in about 60 directly impacted villages located around the kaval. It was therefore, not without reason, that the Karnataka government had designated such kaval land as district forests per the Karnataka Forest Rules 1969 and their protection was made sacrosanct by directions of the Karnataka High Court in 2002 and subsequent orders of the
state. The Challakere kaval land ranges over 12,000 acres, and constitute the last remaining large contiguous semiarid grassland in Karnataka. The state, which boasted at the time of independence of possessing about 4,00,000 acres of kaval grasslands, is now, per the forest department submissions to the Supreme Court, left with only about 45,000 acres of such habitat. With 9,273 acres confirmed to have been diverted for other purposes, it is a no-brainer to assert that the demise of these grasslands is nigh. ESG produced other evidence as well. Despite statutory notices of violation of environmental laws from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), issued about two years ago, none of the project proponents complied with any of the mandatory
THE HERITAGE
The Amrit Mahal cattle were grazed in different kavals based on the availability of pasture in different seasons. Amrit Mahal cattle were patronised by the royalty, most notably by Vijayanagar emperors, the Wodeyars and later by Tipu Sultan.
During the Vijayanagar Empire, these grasslands spread over 4.15 lakh acres. Management of pasture lands was assigned to servegaras and kavalgaras, who held administrative and judicial powers over the lands they managed.
This breed was prized for its speed, endurance, strength and unfailing loyalty. The bulls were used in warfare as a frontline of defence and to transport heavy army equipment on rough roads and difficult terrain. Their strength and ability to withstand drought make them equally well suited to dry land agriculture.
They were also responsible for making logistic arrangements for the nomadic cattle and the grazers. They ensured the well-being of the animals by preventing grazing, fire, encroachment and felling of trees in the kaval. Even dung from the pasturelands was not allowed as they believed that the dung
improves the quality of pasture. After the management of the kavals was taken over by the state government in 1954, the post of kavalgaras has mostly become ceremonial. They are not paid any salary for their services. As compensation, they are allotted five acres of agricultural land, which they can use only to cultivate food and fodder crops. Expenses they incur while on work for registering cases or seeking medical treatment are not recompensed. Even so, many passionately continue their work.
environmental and forest clearance norms and standards. Instead, a variety of project activities (as mentioned earlier) have commenced. Villagers have been hard-hit already. There is no water for the cattle to drink. And access to pasture land has been considerably restricted too. The communities, as a result, are finding it hard to survive, what with the burden of loans wearing heavily on their shoulders. A representative of the kaval communities, Karianna of Dodda Ullarphi, narrated the travails of his people to a tiny group of journalists in Bangalore earlier this week. Karianna and his people are hoping that the lands that have been snatched away will soon be restored. But before that, the state government will have to do some answering. subir.ghosh@dnaindia.net
THE GRASSLANDS Grasslands are the 'common' lands of the community and while there have been robust traditional institutions ensuring their sustainable management in the past, today due to take-over by government or breakdown of traditional institutions they are the responsibility of none. They are the most productive ecosystems in the subcontinent, but they belong to all, are controlled by none, and they have no godfathers. Indeed they are often looked at as 'wastelands' on which tree plantations have to be done, or which can be easily diverted for other uses. Such diversions often put even more pressure on adjoining ecosystems for grazing and fodder removal. Source:Task Force on Grasslands and Deserts for the Environment and Forest Sector for the Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012)