In lieu of the loss of forest cover in Kaleshwaram project, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), in its clearance, has asked the Telangana government to allot over 3,367 hectares (8320 acres) of non-forest land and over 617 ha (1525 acres) of degraded forest land for compensatory afforestation. Over this land, a total of 50,69,010 plants should be planted.
The Revenue land available and suitable for planting, however, is only 2,700-2,800 hectares, says Principal Chief Conservator of Forests P.K. Jha.
Telangana government is confident that it could achieve this target through the Haritha Haram programme which envisages planting of 230 crore saplings by 2019.
However, Mr. Jha admits, the same species lost in the project cannot be planted as part of compensatory afforestation. Instead, trees suitable for the climate and geological conditions of the freshly allotted land will be grown. Biodiversity experts opine that the lost forests can never be replaced.
“Once a pristine forest is gone, it is lost forever. One cannot replicate similar eco-system anywhere else,” says C. Srinivasulu of the Zoology faculty from the Osmania University and expert member of the Telangana State Biodiversity Board.
Besides, it will be doubly detrimental to the ecological balance, as the site chosen for the compensatory afforestation already has its own eco-system.
“Even barren lands have their own unique animal and insect species. By force-planting a barren land, we would also be destroying the already existing biodiversity there,” he says, and cites the instance of Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) whereby grasslands were planted with trees to the endangerment of the Great Indian Bustard.
Expressing doubts about the efficacy of EIA reports aimed at project clearances, Prof.Srinivasulu says a long term biodiversity assessment should have been carried out by neutral experts, before the project was taken up.
“When Nagarjunasagar was envisaged, a long-term biodiversity assessment was carried out by Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India. They collected specimens of animals and plants which were known to be local to the submergence area. Two lizard and one snake species thus were preserved from extinction,” he says.
Critics also question the eagerness shown by the Forest Department in preparing the proposals and assisting in getting approvals.
“Governments always try to exert pressure on the department because they have to win the elections. Foresters have no such obligation. Despite pressure, they must hold their own, and do what they are expected to do -- protect the forests,” says a retired forest official.
