The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday ordered issue of notice to the State government on a PIL petition challenging diversion of 61 acres of protected Amruth Mahal kaval lands in Chikkamagaluru district for the construction of canals under the Upper Bhadra project.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice M. Nagaprasanna passed the order on the petition filed by D.V. Girish and two other environment and wildlife activists from Chikkamagaluru.
“The Amruth Mahal kaval lands in Basur kaval are part of the conservation reserve notified under Section 36-A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and cannot be allotted to Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Ltd. for their project,” the petitioners contended.
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Some parts of the land to be used for the project are part of the Basur Amruth Mahal Kaval Black Buck conservation reserve, the petitioners claimed while pointing out that Amruth Mahal kaval grasslands apart from supporting cattle, are an important habitat for several species of endangered fauna.
It was pointed out that in a letter, the Deputy Director of Amruth Mahal Cattle Breeding Centre of the State government, Ajjampura in Chikkamagaluru, had written to Joint Director of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences Department clearly stated that the proposed Upper Bhadra canal passes through the kaval, the land assigned for pasturage of Amrith Mahal cattle.