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The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in its regional office of Kolhapur renewed a mining license of iron ore at Kalne village. The said place is located in the controversial Dodamarg-Sawantwadi belt as held by the response in RTI by environmental group Vanashakti.
In 2011, a petition was filed by Awaaz Foundation and in 2013 High Court directed the union and state ministry to make sure that the said area is protected like an ‘ecologically-sensitive area (where mining and red category industries are not allowed)’. The Court again in 2018, listening to the plea of Vanashakti’s in 2016 declared the entire area as ‘no tree- felling zone’. Adhering to the High Court orders, the forest department approved the study of ?83 lakhs to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun in order to assess the exact boundaries and analyze the tiger & elephant movements.
The RTI response spells that MPCB had issued the license to renew operations of 7.5 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore till March 31, 2021, around 32.25-hectare area at Kalne. This area also forms a part of way connected to two wildlife sanctuaries, i.e. Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary (Kolhapur) and Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka).
Vanashakti also collected satellite images, photographs and filed a complaint with the environment department and other state bodies requesting them to rescind the renewed license and protect biodiversity.
Stalin D, director of Vanashakti claimed that “The entire 32.2-ha green cover has been destructed due to mining operations. The change in topography shows the extent of destruction to wildlife caused by the mining body, with the MPCB. Satellite images reflect tree felling at the mine area, even as MPCB’s renewal for mining operations is in defiance of the prohibitory order imposed by the HC”.
MPCB clarified that the mining body had started operating in 2009 after receiving environment clearance, after which the first license was issued.
Effect on Biodiversity: Incalculable Loss
As the plea filed before the High Court, the area is home for a large number of biodiversity including tigers, leopards, elephants, civets, sloth bears. It was home to migratory bird species, Indian giant squirrel (Maharashtra’s state animal) along with the other resident members. The forest department gave a confirmation that for the last five years, the movement of about 25 tigers was noticed whereas an elephant family of 5 members lives there.
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