Ambaragudda faces a ‘Green rebellion’ against resumption of mining

Shivamogga: Environmentalists in the region have urged the state government to initiate measures to prevent resumption of mining activities in Ambaragudda hill in Hosanagar taluk, declared as an evergreen hotspot.

In 2004, a Hyderabad-based private organisation had undertaken mining for iron ore in around 20 acres of revenue land covered with thick rain forest in Ambaragudda hill. The local people had staged protests against mining activities in Ambaragudda after which the state government passed an order to stop mining there in 2005. Amabaragudda, located adjacent to Kodachadri hill, is rich in bio-diversity. The region receives around 6,000 mm rain, annually.

Five tributaries of the Sharavathy, including Nagodi and Yennehole, originate from the hill. The environmentalists fear that mining of iron ore in the region would result in accumulation of silt in Linganamakki reservoir, the source of water for Sharavathy hydro electricity project. A team of experts, comprising scientists from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, officials of the forest, mines and geology departments and the KSPCB that had undertaken a study at Ambaragudda, had said that mining would result in degradation of the fragile ecology of the region.Based on this opinion, the district administration had told the state government that permission should not be given for mining here. Ambaragudda is in the vicinity of Sharavathy and Mookambika wildlife sanctuaries. Moreover, the region has been identified as an ecologically sensitive zone by the Kasturirangan panel. According to existing laws, permission cannot to be given for any form of activity, including mining, which would create an ecological imbalance.

Ananth Hegde Ashisara, environmentalist and former chairman of Western Ghats Task Force, told DC that the Hyderabad-based mining firm had filed an application with Karnataka High Court in June this year seeking permission for transport of iron ore. The firm had told the High Court that more than two lakh tonnes of iron ore that it had extracted earlier was lying on the hill it had identified. Mr. Ashisara said the claim that two lakh tonnes of ore extracted was lying on the hill was not true and the regeneration of forest had commenced in the area where ore was extracted. If permission was granted for transportation of ore, then the movement of ore-laden trucks would damage the fragile ecology of the region. It was the responsibility of the state government to bring these issues to the notice of the court and ensure that no fresh mining activities are undertaken in the region.

Mr Ashisara submitted a memorandum to the Chief Conservator of Forest Range Gowda and the office of Deputy Commissioner in this regard recently.