Green activists are up in arms against Kudremukh Iron Ore Company ltd (KIOCl) attempt to set up eco-tourism centres and residential quarters in Kudremukh. They say the move is illegal as the apex court had rejected its appeal for developing any infrastructure for eco-tourism.
According to the Expression of Interest (EOI) floated by KIOCl on April 7, 2014, there are also facilities like hospital and residential quarters that are not being fully utilised, therefore, they are hoping to lease out the existing healthcare infrastructure and hospital facilities to set up infrastructure for medical tourism services.
The Supreme Court in its order in 2005 has banned mining in the Kudremukh area in the Western Ghats and asked the KIOCl to close its operations from the eco-sensitive area. A forest department official told The Pioneer that after the SC order, the KIOCl had to return the land to the State Government after the expiry of the lease agreement. “The State Government so far has not given any permission for the company to start any such activity. It is violation of all norms and SC order,” said a forest official.According to Praveen Bhargava of the Wildlife First, an NGO, a conservation advocacy organisation, has written to the State Government asking it not to give permission as it violates the SC order.
“It is a matter of concern as the KIOCl is attempting to create rights over Government land. As per Supreme Court order, the area spread across 3,203.55 hectares (mining area) and residential areas cannot be used for any purpose,” said Bhargava.
The Wildlife First, which was the petitioner in this case before the apex court (and that finally lead to the closure of Kudremukh mines in 2005) in a statement said: “The demised mining lease area of 3,203.55 hectare area (plus the 500 ha lakya encroachment outside the lease area) is now a fully notified National Park and 1,401 ha enclosure within the National Park area is a deemed eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) as per directions of the Court and the guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry. The said area falls within the Western Ghats Eco-Sensitive Area as identified by the High level Working Group and notified by the Ministry on March 10, 2014 which prohibits any township development project of 50 hectares and above.”