Joshimath tragedy raises questions over projects at Chamundi Hills, Shiradi Ghat

Mysuru: The appearance of cracks at Joshimath, accompanied by the even more disturbing reports of buldings just sinking, has raised pertinent questions over the profusion of developmental projects proposed at the eco-sensitive Chamundi Hills, and in the Shiradi Ghats.
Under the PRASAD scheme, work on a slew of projects is slated to be undertaken atop Chamundi Hills to turn the pilgrimage site into a major tourist attraction. Locals have questioned the wisdom of sanctioning such projects at Chamundi Hills, which has been at the centre of the raging human-concflict problem over the past few years. Frequent intrusions by leopards inhabiting the surrounding forests into residential locales at the foot of Chamundi Hills has left the locals a jittery lot, and further human intervention is only likely to aggravate this problem, fear activists.
Meanwhile, a 23-kilometre-long tunnel proposed in the biodiversity-rich Shiradi Ghat has raised the hackles of not only environmentalists, but residents of villages and towns nestled amid the verdant expanse of the Western Ghats. Pointing to the calamitous consequences of excessive human intervention in natural habitats as evidenced in Joshi Math, activists are calling on both the state and central government to drop projects that could irreversibly damage the ecology.
In his letter to Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari said that bids had been invited from contractors to undertake work on expanding the road between Maranahalli in Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan, and Addahole in Puttur taluk in Dakshina Kannada, into a four-lane thoroughfare. Protestations by activists and environmentalists, however, have gone unheeded by the business community, who are pushing for the project to ease mobility in the undulating terrain. The 23-kilometre-long tunnel to be drilled in the sylvan hills is estimated to cost Rs 15,000 crore, while the widening of the Addahole-Sakleshpur road may cost Rs 1,976 crore.
Gadkari was initially opposed to the tunnel, dubbing it ‘unviable’, while replying to a query by Nalin Kumar on December 8, 2022. However, the revised detailed project report (DPR) appears to have breathed new life into this project, prompting activists to take up cudgels against the proposal.
Kishore Kumar HA, an activist who had filed a petition seeking accountability for the landslides that were reported in Kodagu, Hassan, and Chikkamagaluru districts, pointing out that the controversial Yettinahole project was to blame for the ecological crisis, called on the government to look at the Joshimath tragedy as an eye-opener. “The Shiradi Ghat is under immense pressure, with various development projects being sanctioned in the region. Landslides have been on the rise. The government is dutybound to order an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) survey before approving any project here. We are gearing up to fight the proposal to widen the Addahole-Sakleshpur road, and the tunnel project,” Kishore Kumar added.
‘Four-lane road will turn into death trap for animals’
Former member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and activist, Joseph Hoover pointed out that tunnelling work would require blasts to be carried out in the forests. “We know only too well the damage that blasting will cause to the ecology. A four-lane road in the thick forest will turn into a death trap for animals. We are opposed to both these projects,” Hoover said.
‘Business community stresses need for good rds’
Stakeholders in the business sector, however, pointed to the obverse side of the problem. Shiradi Ghat was often closed to traffic following heavy rainfall, which affected tourism, they said. President of Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Owners’ Association, Radhakrishna Holla said that the Shiradi Ghat Road had been under repair for the better part of 14 years. “We want good roads in the region, but we are equally concerned about the ecology. Also, it is not wise to liken the situation in Shiradi Ghat to that in the Himalayas. Various tunnel roads in the Himalayas have been successfully completed, without posing any problem,” he said.
Members of the Save Chamundi Betta Committee have been opposing the projects atop the Chamundi Hills, with activists even planning a series of protests to express their opposition.