Clearance sought for railway line through Kawal Tiger Reserve

Forest land diversion proposals to dominate the discussion in first ever Wildlife Board meeting

The first ever meeting of the freshly-constituted Telangana State Board for Wildlife is going to be all about forest land diversions.

Almost all the proposals listed in the agenda for discussion in the meeting on February 1 pertain to diversions from protected areas and sanctuaries, part of them even from tiger corridors. The total extent of land proposed to be diverted is close to 1000 acres.

The diversions are sought for infrastructural projects, including railway lines, construction, upgradation, repairs and maintenance of roads and bridges, drinking water projects, optical fibre cable lines, irrigation projects, and others.

Ten proposals to be sent for approval by the National Board for Wildlife, are listed in the first category.

Prominent among them is diversion of 168.43 hectares (over 416 acres) falling in tiger corridor area of Kawal Tiger Reserve in Kagaznagar division, for laying of broad gauge railway line along the existing track between Makhudi and Rechni Road railway stations in Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts respectively.

Road upgradation

Close to 32 hectares (about 80 acres) of forest land is sought to be diverted in Warangal wild life division, for upgrading of Urattam-Iylapur road.

Diversion of about 28 hectares (close to 70 acres) is proposed from Eturunagaram and Venkatapuram forest divisions under Mulugu district for construction of barrage across river Godavari under Kanthanapally Sujala Sravanthi Project, near Thupakulagudem village.

Proposal for de-notification of 112 hectares (277 acres) from a reserve forest for relocation of two villages from the core area of KTR, though not falling in wildlife area, has been listed for discussion.

Several other proposals under the category requiring diversion of varying extents up to a maximum of five hectares (12 acres) include construction of BT road from Gundala and Parasa villages in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, construction of inter-state HT transmission lines from Maharashtra, four laning of national highway between Chandrapur and Mancherial, new road to Neelavancha of Gudur Mandal, Warangal, construction of reservoir under Mission Bhagiratha, and a bridge across Jampannavagu in Mulugu district.

Another category is for proposals falling into eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around protected areas, which need approval by NBWL, after clearance here.

Eco-sensitive zones

Diversion of 18 hectares (about 45 acres) of forest land is sought under this category for Neelwai Medium Irrigation porject in Mancherial district falling under ESZ of Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary. Other proposals include diversion of about three hectares from Pranahita sanctuary in favour of Singareni Collieries, and permission for real estate development in the ESZ of KBR National Park in state capital.

Under the category for linear projects falling in protected areas needing approval only from the State Board, are several proposals for laying of optical fibre cable lines in reserved forests and wildlife areas, a predominant majority from Reliance Jio.

All these proposals have been vetted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Forest department.

Permissions have also been sought for carrying out repairs and maintenance of four stretches of roads leading to Medaram Jatara.