Forest officials of Krishna district have prepared a report to denotify 19,256 hectares of forests
The Kondapalli reserve forest area near the capital and forest patches adjoining the Khammam district have recorded the pug marks of leopards.
Hyderabad: The leopard habitat located near the AP capital region will be wiped out if their forest home is denotified to construct Amaravati.
Environvenmentalists fear a repeat of Madhapur, where the shrub forest that was home to leopards was destroyed by the realty boom in Hitec City.
The Kondapalli reserve forest area near the capital and forest patches adjoining the Khammam district have recorded the pug marks of leopards.
Forest range officer R. Eswar Prasad of Krishna district said, “During the rainy season, we have found pugmarks suspected to be that of a leopard in Adavinekkalam and Kottur. We were investigating after the carcass of a buffalo was found. The leopard may have killed the buffalo.”
The APGenco, while submitting the environment impact assessment report prepared by Ramky for the Vijayawada Thermal Power Plant had said about Kondapalli: “Rare sightings of leopards have been reported by villagers which is the only species under Schedule-I of Wildlife Act (Protection) Act.”
Forest officials of Krishna district have prepared a report to denotify 19,256 hectares of forests. land including 9,056 hectares in 28 blocks of Krishna district and 10,200 hectares in 13 blocks of Guntur district.
The blocks in Krishna district include Adavinekkalam and its extension and Navepothavaram and Duggiralapadu, where the leopard was spotted earlier. Sources said the Kondapalli reserve forest will be made part of the denotification in second phase. Environmentalists said if Kondapalli is dentofied it will lead to the loss of a large number of medicinal plants, the wood used for making Kondpalli toys and also the link between the Eastern Ghats.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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