Illegal road-widening threatens wildlife at Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

BENGALURU: An illegal road-widening exercise inside Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Mandya and Ramanagara districts, which is home to rare honey badgers and elephants, has raised concerns over wildlife protection.
The road in question is a 13km-long stretch connecting Bhoohalli to Muthathi, a pilgrimage and tourist destination, in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district. Environmentalists allege work has been taken up despite the forest department stopping the same and seizing equipment in the past.

Environmentalist Santosh SL said they have collected photographic evidence of the activity. “The road cuts through the Halaguru range of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The existing road can be repaired and tarred, but cannot be widened as clearance from the State Board for Wildlife and National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is mandatory to widen roads inside protected areas,” he added.

In December last year, the forest department had stopped the very same road-widening work and seized vehicles and earth-movers used for the purpose. But greens allege that tremendous pressure from politicians made local forest officers resume work a week ago. “Also, forest department officials were warned not to intervene in this illegal activity. It is unfortunate that people’s representatives who make laws are the ones breaking them,” said a wildlife enthusiast, condition of anonymity.

A senior official from the forest department said they’d undertake an inspection of the road in question. “Necessary action will be initiated against the agencies concerned,” he added.

Cauvery wildlife sanctuary is also one of the hotbeds of man-animal conflicts. Greens say there is no doubt that further destruction of this habitat will lead to more conflicts. “This illegal activity will sound a death knell for wild animals like leopards, wild dogs, spotted deer and many more which are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act,” they added.