Credit: DH Photo
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted an expert committee to conduct spot inspection in the Mahadayi project sites in Belagavi district.
The Authority, which functions under the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, said the committee will visit the project sites and submit the report in one month.
The committee comprises representatives from NTCA, Delhi and NTCA, regional office, Bengaluru, officers from the Karnataka forest department and Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited, Belagavi.
"Mitigation measures suggested in the wildlife conservation plan for Kalasa Nala diversion scheme prepared by the forest department were comprehensive, but there is opportunity for further refinement of the plan. Given the magnitude of the project and conservation significance of the project site, more structural and non-structural mitigation measures may be required to maintain landscape integrity and curtail impacts of fragmentations likely to be caused by the project," the Authority said in its order.
Earlier, the state government had submitted a proposal to NTCA, seeking approval to divert forest land to take up Kalasa Nala diversion scheme in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi district as part of Mahadayi project.
The proposal involved diversion of 26.92 hectares of forest land, including 10.68 hectares of forest that falls under the tiger corridor between Kali and Sahyadri tiger reserves.