The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : PCSS project detrimental to habitat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 08, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

PCSS project detrimental to habitat

S. Harpal Singh

Canals major cause of worry for environment enthusiasts

Wildlife being threatened by project
Canals in sanctuary will fragment the habitat: researcher

Ecowatch: The Pranahita river supported different forms of life, which is evident from fossils found in the area under Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary.

ADILABAD: Environment activists have every reason to take up the cause of the wildlife in the Pranahita and Shiwwaram Wildlife Sanctuaries, which they fear is being threatened by the ambitious Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita-Chevella Srujala Sravanthi (PCSS). “If it comes into being, the project will turn the local habitat into a ‘pranarahita’ (devoid of life) place,” observes E.N. Murthy, a senior researcher from the Botany department of Kakatiya University whose study focuses on the Pranahita Sanctuary.

The PCSS envisages construction of a barrage across the Pranahita river in Koutala mandal of Adilabad district and divert water through canals and tunnels to other projects located in other districts. The nearly 120 kms of canals including 37 kms of tunnels will be dug through places that fall under the 136 square kms of the Pranahita sanctuary that is a major cause of worry for environment enthusiasts.

The sanctuary is home to 56 types of birds and 70 of animals mainly the endangered blackbuck or Krishna jinka (Antelope cervicarpa), which is the State animal of Andhra Pradesh, barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and chousingha (Tetracerus quadricormis) that thrive in the shrubs and grasslands in the area. The mugger or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) and a host of other reptile species will be threatened due to the project. “The barrage and other construction on the river will deter tigers from crossing over from the Tadoba sanctuary in Maharashtra. The canals will fragment the habitat making it extremely difficult for the animals to move about and also pave way for bringing more shrub land under cultivation, legal or illegal. This will result in shrinking of forest land in the area falling under Jaipur, Vemanpalli, Kotapalli and Chennur mandals where environmental degradation has already devastated the teak forests. Construction work on the Nizamabad-Jagdalpur NH 16 has considerably eroded soil and increased road traffic has disturbed the animal life,” said Mr. Murthy in detail.

There is also a likelihood of the river running dry in winter and summer months because of the barrage. However, engineers working on the project have denied such a thing will occur. “A minimum flow of water will be maintained through the scour gates at stream level,” points out an engineer.

Mr. Murthy suggests an expert committee look into the matter before any activity related to the construction is taken up.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh

News Update

Stories in this Section