Wildlife activists are up in arms against the proposed expansion of the Machilipatnam harbour in the prime habitat of endangered Fishing Cat and vulnerable Olive Ridley Turtle in the Bandar Reserve Forest (BRF). The Department of Fisheries has proposed to expand the existing harbour, to a fleet size of 550 vessels, and navigational facilities accordingly by spending ₹252 crore.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared by WAPCOS, a consulting organisation under the Ministry of Water Resource, says: “The project site is on government land, free from mangroves or vegetative cover of any significance. The site is not part of the migratory corridor of any endangered faunal species and does not constitute the breeding or nesting ground of endangered species.” Contrary to the claims of the EIA Report, moderately dense mangrove cover is surviving in the 15-acre site proposed for navigational and other infrastructure facilities on the land front, apart from serving as the prime habitat of the fishing cat, according to activists.
The 15-acre site is in the possession of the Department of Ports.
Evidence recorded
“In June 2016, a young fishing cat and a few pug marks were recorded adjacent to the existing harbour at Gilakaldindi village. The proposed site for the expansion of the harbour is surrounded by mangrove cover in the BRF, a prime habitat of the fishing cat,” wetland expert A. Appa Rao told The Hindu.
Mr. Appa Rao, an independent mangrove scholar, had recorded the fishing cat movements in the BRF. The seafront has been a potential nesting and breeding ground of the olive ridley turtles. Construction of two training walls and dredging have been proposed on the seafront by spending more than ₹100 crore, which, it is feared, would pose a major threat to the turtles.
Transfer of forest land
According to GO.No. 2204 issued in 1970, in Krishna district, 25,259 acres of Bandar Reserve Forest and BRF I to IV was ordered to be de-reserved for assigning it to the landless poor by transferring the land from the Forest department to the Revenue department.