Wanton destruction of lush green hills, paddy fields

The green hills in the Eastern Ghats are disappearing rapidly due to indiscriminate quarrying for colour granite stone. Unscrupulous quarrying is posing a serious threat to human habitats as well as the natural treasure of rich flora and fauna besides endangered species. The forested hills of Nagalla Konda, Samalamma, and Kooti in the Chodavaram Forest Range in Visakhapatnam district are sliced by mining contractors for colour granite, making a mockery of several laws in force.

The quarrying operations are resulting in wanton destruction of environment, lush green paddy fields in the fringe areas and seasonal as well as perennial springs which are the major source for drinking and irrigation purposes in Seethabandala and Tummavanipalem villages. These hills are the habitat for a large population of cycads (jemmy chettu) known to have been on earth for millions of years, a living fossil.

Unfriendly mining operations are disturbing the wildlife including Malabar Pied Hornbill, mouse deer, national bird peacocks, leopards, sloth bears, sambar, barking deer, jackals, and King Cobras, to name a few, according to a NGO Vikasa which is working for the agricultural development of tribals in the area.

The hills are very rich in invertebrate fauna both terrestrial and aquatic which can be found from the range of taxa that have been sighted. The green hills are in the chain of proposed Chinthapalli Bio Sphere connecting to the Papikonda Wildlife Sanctuary. Quarrying for colour granite is sounding a death-knell to the flora and fauna.

Tribals depend on non-timber forest produce available in the forests for their livelihood. Their religious places and their sacred bamboo groves are also destroyed. Their community forest land resources rights are not yet recognised under the recent enactment Forest Rights Recognition Act 2006. For instance, the Gram Panchayat Avuruvada is a habitat of Kondareddy, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, spread over 14 habitations in the vicinity of green hills. These tribals have habitat rights over the forest landscape around the habitations.

The green hill Nagallakonda which is shown as a hill poromboke in revenue records, is handed over to the miners for a throwaway price. The total extent of the Nagalla konda is Ac 2079.39 situated in Survey No 69. The mining operation area of this hill is adjacent to compartment No 783 Kothapatnam beat of Medivada section. No compound wall protecting the reserved forests from the mining operations has been constructed.

Against the norms, mining is permitted in assignment patta lands. For instance, the mining area is very much present in the D form Patta lands of tribals in Kothnapalli of Ravikamatham Mandal. As per the reports of MRO, Madugula (Ref. no 37/2007/C dated 25-1-2007), the total land in S.No 1 is about 367 acres, which is classified as Gayalu in Chinnagorrigedda village.

Assessment of tree value jointly by the officials of horticulture and forest departments is required for removal of any trees in the leased area. But the DFO, Visakhapatnam, responded to a query under RTI that no such request was made to the department. There were 10 leases granted over 220 acres in China Gorrigedda, Ankuru, Avuruvada and Tiruwada villages. In V Madugula Mandal, there are a total of 299 applications filed for grant of leases, of which 36 were cleared by August 2016.

Bypassing procedures, the mining proposals are cleared based on the sole No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Tahsildars. The forest department and Pollution Control Board are maintaining silence over the emerging environmental havoc. From the District Collector down the line, officials are justifying handover of the hills to mining contractors on the pretext that the lands are either hill poromboke or gayalu lands which are the ‘gap areas’ in tribal habitations and reserved forest.

Although the lands are not classified as forest lands, they are legally termed as forest in view of the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of TN Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs Union of India which asserts that forests would be defined by their dictionary meaning. Thus mandatory permission is required under Forest Conservation Act 1980 for diversion of forest lands for non-forest purposes including mining. In fact, such gap areas were already notified as protected forests in East Godavari district. Thus it is the constitutional duty of the government to protect environment and tribal habitats from destructive mining operations.

By Dr Palla Trinadha Rao