Threat to Kolleru Sanctuary Area under garb of Expert Group

      

    Sri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, after visiting Kolleru Sanctuary Area, along with  the MPs, who are known to have vested interests in reduction of Sanctuary Area from Plus +5 to + 3 contour, is reported to have agreed to constitute an "Expert Group" to reexamine the relevant issues for reduction of the sanctuary area.

 

   The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, after inspecting the site and interacting with the representatives of different stakeholders, had already laid down the norms that should apply to the conservation of Kolleru Lake. Based on these norms, the bold "Operation Restoration of Kolleru" was launched for dismantling fishponds encroaching into the Government lands in the notified Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary, which was opposed by the same people who have now accompanied the Minister, E&F. One fails to understand the justification/motives for Sri Jairam Ramesh to reopen the issue and trying to put the clock back in restoration of Kolleru to its Pristine Glory.

 

Grounds for Reduction of Sanctuary Area

                

   The reduction of Kolleru Sanctuary boundary  is  proposed,  mainly on the grounds that  private lands to the extent of 15,000 acres between contours +5 and  +3, are required to be acquired  at an estimated compensation of  Rs.655 Crores to be paid  for the lands at valuation rates  prevailing in the year 2008.

 

  The State Govt is understood to have proposed that if it was not possible for Government of India to provide funds for compensation against land to be acquired, then it should allow to reduce the Sanctuary from +5 to +3 contour as per the Assembly Resolution.

 

    The total compensation amount of Rs.655 Crores for about 15,000 acres of private land, which works out to be more than Rs. 4 Lakhs per acre, appears to be very much on the higher side. The value of the land in the Sanctuary area will have to be worked out, taking into account that the land use cannot be changed, and it gets subjected to flooding for most part of the year.

 

Adverse Impacts of Reduction

 

    The attempt to shrink the area of the Kolleru Sanctuary (from +5 to +3 contour) by about 25,000 acres will reduce the water holding capacity to the dead storage, defeating the very purpose of notifying as a Wildlife Sanctuary. The reduction of water holding capacity of the Sanctuary, which serves as a natural flood- balancing reservoir for Krishna- Godavari basins, will lead to submerging of thousands of acres of agricultural lands in the surrounding areas.

 

  It will ultimately prove to be disastrous to the famous Wetland –Kolleru- of international repute, nullifying the results of all the good efforts made during the last 5 to 6 years, to revive, the clinically dead Kolleru fresh water lake. This will have serious long term adverse impacts on ecological balance of the water body and the surrounding area.

 

Conclusion

 

       Sri Jairam Ramesh, Minister for E&F, should take note of the norms laid down for conservation of Kolleru Sanctuary Area  by CEC, which  is seized of the matter and should not reopen the issues that have been well settled, for the reasons best known to him. He should use his good-offices for making available the central funds required for paying compensation for the lands belonging to small farmers between +5 and +3 Contours, instead of wasting time and resources in appointing "Expert Group"  

 

     The CEC Findings and Directives, Public Opinion ( not the stage managed public opinion),Environmental Impacts, GOI Obligation to International Organizations regarding protection of Wetlands, Article 48-A of The Constitution of India, the  Harmony between Water Body, Human Habitations, Flora & Fauna etc, be considered before jumping to any conclusion in respect of "Kolleru Sanctuary" .

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