Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The proposal put forth by the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project Limited (GTTPL) to draw a power transmission line through the Western Ghats forest has been rejected by the Karnataka government. Instead, the project executing agency has been directed to lay the line through non-forested areas.
The Karnataka government has also taken action against forest department officials (Dharwad and Uttara Kannada) who had previously recommended the project without considering the destruction of forested areas in the Ghats.
GTTPL had sought permission from Karnataka to divert a significant amount of forest land, including the Kali Tiger Reserve, to lay a transmission line for powering parts of South Goa from Tamnar in Chhattisgarh.
The proposed alignment of the transmission line would have passed through three districts in Karnataka i.e., Uttara Kannada , Belagavi and Dharwad, before reaching South Goa.
In response to objections, GTTPL authorities submitted a realignment plan to avoid dense forests. However, the proposed alignment still required the clearing of over 72,000 trees in four forest divisions. conservator of forests (Canara Circle) and chief conservator of forests (Dharwad) had recommended it, CCF Belagavi had rejected the proposal citing ecological destruction.
According to the assessment of the ground officer, the proposal for diverting 174.65 hectares of forest land under the Forest Act 1980 was submitted to the ACS, forest department, by PCCF (HoFF) for consideration. Ultimately, the proposal was rejected by the Karnataka forest department in consultation with the forest minister Ishwar Khandre.
