DAMS FOR COORG OR DAMNING
OF COORG?
Much debate has been going on in Coorg about the
building of dams in the district, and more specifically at several
sites on the Barapolay River located inside the Oorti and Kerti
reserve forests, which form part of the core area of the Brahmagiri
Wildlife Sanctuary of the Western Ghats/Nilgiri Mountains, as well
as the drawing of high tension electricity cables through some of
Kodagu’s pristine virgin forest areas. While the residents
of Coorg may benefit from receiving more electricity from the power
plants, (although even this is in question since it is rumored that
both the water and electricity from the dams will be given to Kerala,
and the high tension wires to be drawn are specifically for delivering
electricity to Kerala with no benefit to the residents of Coorg
at all), additional electricity can be delivered and generated in
far better, less environmentally destructive ways—such as
wind power, ocean thermal power, and solar power plants like those
in the USA, Europe, and even in parts of Northern India—than
felling over 4000 trees in virgin forest for overhead cables or
building a series of no less than four dams in the middle of a wildlife
sanctuary.
In any case, the state government has granted a total of Rs. 15.5
crores for establishing various power supply projects in the district,
including establishing two 66 KVA sub-stations at Madikeri and Suntikoppa
respectively which will connect to two 66 KVA lines from Kushalnagar
and Ponnampet. “These projects will ensure a total solution
to all power related problems in Kodagu,” according to Mr.
H.D. Revanna, state minister for Power and PWD. Then where is the
question of needing to construct dams?
Captains of Indian industry like S. Ramadorai, CEO, Tata Consultancy
Services, and Hemendra Kothari, Chairman, DSP Merrill Lynch have
recognized the value of India’s wildlife sanctuaries. While
launching a new program to galvanize the business community behind
environmental conservation efforts, Mr. Kothari stated, “Wild
habitats (like our Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary) really hold the
key to India’s water security, soil health and thus agriculture.
Almost all of those are vital water catchments and will be lost,
affecting the lives of millions who depend on this most basic natural
resource for their very survival. From just 28 tiger reserves across
India, more than 300 rivers (like the Barapolay River) originate.”
While new dams are being proposed for Coorg, dams are being dismantled
in Europe and the USA. Why? Because of the disastrous effects dams
have had on the environment, which has led to economic disaster
as well for the areas in which the dams have been located. The proposed
dams at the Barapolay River located inside the heart of the Brahmagiri
Wildlife Sanctuary of the Western Ghats/Nilgiri Mountains will also
be environmental, ecological and economic disasters for the entire
Coorg district, as well as for Karnataka and southern India.
The Western Ghats/Nilgiri Mountains that run through Coorg are the
watershed for the entire south Indian peninsula. The rainforests
covering these mountains are the heart of the watershed. Already
deforestation of these mountains has reached an alarming rate, with
60,000 acres of forest cover having been lost in just two years
in the Coorg district alone, according to the Geological Survey
of India, Dehradun. This has, in turn, led to a drastic reduction
in rainfall and subsequent droughts year after year in areas all
over Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra, not to
mention areas of the Coorg district itself. Additional deforestation
and destruction of the rainforests will further endanger these vital
water resources.
There is sure to be large-scale destruction of these same rainforests
during the construction and running of the proposed hydro projects.
Vast tracts of forest will be cut down, not to mention being inundated
by the dammed waters, all of which will have a drastic effect on
the watershed, i.e., streams and rivers will dry up. No trees means
no rain. What good are dams if you cut down the source of water—the
rainforest? How much electricity can the dams generate if there
is no water to turn their turbines to generate the electricity?
The Lessons of Brazil—Loss of Carbon Credits
The residents of Kodagu should learn from the
mistakes made by Brazil. In compliance with the Kyoto Accord on
Environment, countries that have large tracts of forest—specifically
equatorial rainforests like India—will be awarded ‘carbon
credits’ since these forests act as ‘carbon sinks’,
soaking up/sponging up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Brazil
was banking on being able to trade/sell these credits to industrialized
nations like the USA due to its vast Amazon rainforest. However,
Brazil has also built several dams on the Amazon. As a result, deforestation
of the Amazon basin, coupled with the methane gas being emitted
by the decomposition of the submerged forest areas, has completely
negated these credits. On top of that, the deforestation and flooding
of the rainforest by the dams has led to a dramatic decrease in
rainfall in the Amazon area resulting in empty dams and no electricity.
Rolling blackouts across Brazil are now common. Is this what we
want in Coorg? Karnataka? South India?
The concept of ‘carbon credits’/compensation for loss
of logging revenue for states/districts/panchayats/individual landowners
that forgo cutting of their forested areas has been floated by the
Indian Supreme Court as well. Proposals include compensation being
given to those states, districts, panchayats and even directly to
individual landowners that protect their forest areas. Should we
in Coorg lose this opportunity of an assured income for the profit
of one company? And that too, a company that appears to have deceptively
cloaked itself in the guise of four companies when surveying the
sites and submitting pre-feasibility reports for the proposed dams
whose costs will be almost 100 crores, according to a press release
by M.C. Nanaiah. Why this secrecy and concealment of facts?
To date, no information has been released regarding the Environmental
Impact Assessment that is required by law to be done before licensing
and construction can begin. Judging from the track records of other
dams constructed around the world and in India in particular—specifically
the dams in Idduku in Kerala, Koyna Dam in Maharashtra, Tehri in
Uttaranchal as well as the series of Teesta mini dams in the Northeast—earthquake
tremors have plagued not only the dam sites, but also areas around
and below the dams.
What’s more, blasting and other construction activities, including
noxious fumes—which will go on for years—will drive
the wildlife from the Sanctuary into neighboring plantations, further
increasing wild animal/human confrontations while crops are damaged
and destroyed in the process.
Dams mean Disaster for Agriculture
No matter what type of dams are built, the dams
themselves will mean ‘disaster’ for agriculture for
several reasons. The leaves from the native trees in the wildlife
sanctuary produce a rich ‘nutrient soup’ when they fall
into the river. The nutrient-rich river water flows downstream with
the annual monsoon to the benefit of all agriculturalists, greatly
increasing the fertility of the soil. Once the dams are built, this
annual replenishment of nutrients will cease and soil fertility
will drop, as the water flowing out of the dams’ tunnels will
be devoid of this nutrient-rich silt. This lack of silt also means
additional soil erosion on the sides of the river downstream. Plus,
the turbidity of the fast-moving water as it exits the dams’
tunnels coupled with the increased temperature of the water will
further increase erosion and have a negative impact on the agricultural
sector downstream.
Free-flowing river water is constantly being cleansed
and enriched by oxygen as it flows downstream. The water in a dam
is static, heats up and becomes oxygen-deficient. This, coupled
with the additional silt, leads to both a change of variety and
an increase in vegetation in the water, further depleting the water
of oxygen. This in turn leads to a higher concentration of heavy
metals in the water, including mercury. While mercury exists naturally
in an inert form in dry soil, when it is submerged under the oxygen-deficient
waters of a dam, it undergoes a chemical change into methylmercury—the
most toxic and deadly form of mercury. Mercury then enters the food
chain by poisoning the fish in the water, and goes on to poison
those who eat the fish—animals and humans alike. Some of the
results of mercury poisoning include birth defects, kidney disease,
neurological diseases and gastrointestinal problems, just to name
a few.
Add to this the problem of the increase in the salinity/salt content
in the discharged river water (excess salt in irrigation water means
a drop in crop output) along with the threat of oil and chemicals
leaching into the water from going through the dams’ turbines
and more disasters are seen for our planters and farmers. On top
of that, water-borne and water-related diseases such as malaria,
cholera and dengue fever will increase not only due to the lack
of movement of the dams’ water, but also to the decrease in
the natural predators of the mosquitoes’ larvae (like fish)
that spread these diseases.
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Disaster for Wildlife and Humans
All types of wildlife in the areas of the dams
will be catastrophically affected for a number of reasons. Study
after study on the impact of dams on wildlife done in the USA (where
the most technologically and environmentally-friendly dams exist)
prove this point. Fish will get caught in the dams’ turbines
and be killed. The fish that normally swim upstream to spawn/reproduce
during monsoon will be unable to do so. The impact of the warmer
water temperature of the dams will inhibit the normal reproductive
life-cycles of the aquatic animals in the river—fish, frogs,
crabs, etc.—as well as those who prey on them—birds,
snakes, larger animals and humans. This will lead to a drop in food
supply, which will disrupt the larger animals’ ability to
survive and reproduce as well. The change in vegetation brought
on by a dam (versus a flowing river) translates into less food for
the animals that have adapted to that area’s original vegetation.
The dams will mean a loss of habitat for many species of animals.
In addition, they will also change the normal flow pattern of the
river’s water. This in turn will lead to disruption of the
normal migratory and reproductive patterns of the animals in the
area, as well as a reduction in the number of species that can survive
there.
The area in question is one of the 8 ‘Hottest Hotspots’
of biodiversity in the entire world (as designated by the UN.) It
is the ‘home’ for trees, plants and animals found nowhere
else on the planet, with as high as 63% of the tree species found
nowhere else. Animals found in the area include the extremely rare
Lion Tailed Macaque, Travancore Turtles, the Great Indian Hornbill,
and many other birds, reptiles and amphibians, not to mention elephants,
tigers, and leopards. The dams will reduce that biodiversity and
adversely affect the immense economic opportunity for Eco-tourism—specifically
Wildlife Tourism—from which the residents of Coorg can benefit
greatly, not to mention creating a new tax base for the state of
Karnataka and a new source of revenue for the state’s Forestry
Ministry.
Protecting Biodiversity means Money from Eco-Tourism
Eco-tourism is the fastest growing sector of the
largest industry on Earth, with Wildlife Tourism being ‘Number
One’ on the charts, increasing by 30% annually. Developing
nations around the world are cashing in on Wildlife Tourism, with
it being Africa’s largest industry. An example of just one
type of wildlife tourism—bird watching—gives a hint
at the fantastic potential of this business. There are between 50-to-70
million bird watchers (‘birders,’ as they call themselves)
around the world. This group of dedicated wildlife enthusiasts are
known as ‘low impact tourists’ since they are very careful
not to harm the environment while enjoying watching birds. In addition,
they spend money freely on their hobby. Example: in just one year
in one state in the USA (Virginia), wildlife tourists spent $1,000,000.
In Texas, ‘birders’ spend an average of $1000 per day
on just one of the state’s bird watching trails.
Birders travel all over the world in search of sighting rare species.
According to Dr. S.V. Narasimhan, there are at least 305 species
of birds native to Coorg, and many of these are rare and endangered.
Hence, the forests of Kodagu present themselves as a ‘birders’
paradise.’ And here is where the Forestry Department/Ministry
can earn extra revenue: by developing ‘Eco-trails’ in
the outer ring of national parks and forests (not the inner core
of the forest) for ‘birders’ and other wildlife tourists
to trek on. Limited numbers of wildlife tourists can be guided through
these trails by forest guides with fees being collected from the
tourists for the same. In addition, scientific study of this rich
biodiversity hotspot can also benefit the Forestry Dept. and the
state with a similar fee-charging program for scientific/biological/ecological
research within the forest areas. This is another area of revenue
from the forests that the Costa Rican government has tapped. Some
of the funds received can be reinvested in solar and other eco-friendly
electricity projects.
‘Community-based Eco-Tourism’ (as practiced in Himachal
Pradesh) and ‘Real Eco-Tourism’ (as practiced in Kenya)—where
the ownership and profits are kept in the hands of local people—can
be developed here, too, with private lands becoming part of Bird
Watching Trails that wind not only through the forest, but through
privately owned plantations. Again, this idea has been practiced
in Costa Rica—where Eco-Tourism is the third largest industry
after coffee and bananas. Fees are paid to the private landowners
who agree to include their lands in the bird watching trail.
Besides making money by charging fees to wildlife tourists for trekking
with guides on Nature/Eco-trails in the outer ring of the national
parks and forests, the Forestry Dept. can collect small annual fees
from the private landowners that want their land to become part
of the 'Bird Watching Eco-trails. 'So one can see that bird watching
is big business.
Other ways in which the local community can benefit monetarily from
properly promoted and properly monitored Eco-tourism include: providing
food and lodging for visiting tourists (in the forms of ‘bed
and breakfast’ as well as small guest houses that emphasize
Coorgi hospitality and culture), sale of local produce and artifacts,
cultural programs and displays for tourists, and the creation of
innumerable jobs for local people, especially as forest guides due
to their unique knowledge of the area and its native flora and fauna.
So we can see that since Wildlife Pays, Wildlife should Stay!
RS. 745 Crores for Biodiversity Conservation Project
In recognition of the urgent need to protect not
only our vital water sources, but also the vast biodiversity located
in the Western Ghats, the State Government is set to launch the
Karnataka Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation
Project with funding from the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation
to the tune of Rs. 745 crores, with an implementation period of
eight years. The strange thing is that the biodiversity the government
is seeking to protect and preserve on the one hand is threatened
with destruction by these proposed dams.
An additional threat which has just surfaced is the implementation
of a new programme to draw high-tension cables through 60 acres
of virgin reserve forest areas of Kodagu to deliver electricity—not
to residents of Coorg or even Karnataka—but to Kerala. This
project will open these virgin forest areas up to human intrusion
for the first time and will mean large-scale denudation of these
reserve forests with over 4000 trees slated to be chopped down.
Once again no details about the Environmental Impact Assessment
have been released, and its very authenticity is being called into
question. Moreover, the company involved has refused to accept a
proposal from Karnataka State Government to run the cables underground
in order to minimize damage to the forest areas, claiming they have
approval from some nameless bureaucrat in the Union Government.
We in Coorg must see that destruction of our precious forests due
to both of these ecologically and economically disastrous projects
does not happen. Each and every one of us must become involved in
this effort to protect not only our forests, but also the wildlife
they contain, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of generations
to come. This must be the legacy, the heritage we pass on to our
children—forests alive with the abundance of life in all forms—plant
and animal.
To quote Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Industries, “All of us
in India should be concerned with the wanton destruction of our
indigenous wildlife. Tigers and elephants are a part of India’s
history and heritage. We need to protect these indigenous species
from poachers and gangs who profit from killing these animals for
monetary gain from the sale of skins, claws, teeth and tusks (and
from greedy companies that think only of their own profits). Our
inability to act today will cause this heritage to be lost to us
forever.”
From the Trustees of SAI Sanctuary Trust
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