Deforestation In Karnataka (Kodagu)

Deforestation In Karnataka(Kodagu)
Once known for serene hilly landscapes, eye-catching coffee estates and
its sacred groves, Kodagu is now in ruins. One of the smallest districts in
Karnataka, where the River Cauvery originates from, the entire district is
now reeling from the disaster caused by rains, multiple landslides and
incessant flooding. Twelve people have been killed, thousands have lost
their homes, entire villages have caved in or have been submerged.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Kodagu has

received a total of 2732.5 mm rainfall since June this year. This is double
the annual average rainfall during the monsoon which is pegged at 1738
mm. Last week alone, the district witnessed 508.2 mm rainfall compared to
last year's 130.3 mm. Activists say that although the rainfall witnessed this
year is double the annual average, they point to the gradual destruction of
the environment for the widespread havoc.
The last time such a disaster was witnessed in the state was in 1961,
environmentalists say.
Was the disaster that has unfolded in Kodagu, in many ways, waiting to
happen?
Illegal sand mining and destruction of safety ridges
According to rescuers who were part of the District Disaster Management

Team, which was engaged in carrying out rescue operations, the landslides
occurred in areas where sand mining had weakened the ridges which kept
rain water at bay.
“There are several ridges along the buffer zone of River Cauvery where
illegal sand mining has been going on. This has made the embankments
weak and they were unable to withstand the heavy water flow when the
river swelled up. The catchment areas flooded and people were stranded.
Areas like Kudumangalore (near Harangi Dam), Hattihole and Mukkodlu
were the worst hit. The embankments were weakened by illegal sand
mining and they broke loose, which resulted in flooding,” one of the
rescuers told TNM.
Speaking to TNM, Colonel Cheppudira Muthanna, President of the Coorg

Wildlife Society says that both sides of the Harangi River have been
encroached by people either for farming purposes or for sand mining. “The
sand dunes are there for a reason on the river banks. Many people have
built homes and begun agricultural activities in the buffer zone. Besides,
there is massive sand mining, which is ignored. The sand dunes have
disappeared over the years. These villages were bound to flood at some
point. So many of us warned the government that this would happen but no
one listened,” Colonel Muthanna says.
Rampant deforestation for tourism and infrastructure development
Kodagu’s landscape comprises of dissected and moderately sloping

structural hill ranges. Some of the hillocks in the region have sharp ridges
and steep slopes too. “The topography suggests that the steeper and
higher slopes are susceptible to landslides. Earlier, these slopes were
covered with thick green cover. This ensured that soil erosion was minimal
and the occurrence of landslides were minimal,” Colonel Muthanna says.
Over the past week, multiple landslides have destroyed coffee estates,
homes and entire villages have caved in and activists say that the rampant
construction of hillside homestays and jungle lodges have resulted in
deforestation, which had caused the landslides to occur.
“The rocks in the hilly areas are porous. In 2014, over 50,000 trees were
chopped off to construct a powerline between Karnataka and Kozhikode.
Now, the government is planning to chop off lakhs of trees for construction
of multi-lane highways. Apart from this, over the past few years, many trees
on the hillslopes and forest areas were cut to construct homestays, resorts
and jungle lodges. Apart from this, there is also the problem of timber
smugglers and over the years, they have destroyed Kodagu’s landscape,”
alleges Dr Cheppudira Kushalappa, Dean of the Forestry College in
Kodagu.
Colonel Muthanna maintains that despite efforts of local activists to stop the
deforestation activities, the government has turned a blind eye. “In the 2030
masterplan for Kodagu, the government has suggested that Madikeri town
be expanded to three times its size. This will come at a high cost of
deforestation. Currently, the reason for the landslides is because of the
rampant terracing of hillslopes by cutting trees. If more trees disappear,
there will be nothing to act as a barrier for soil erosion and it will lead to
more flooding and more landslides every time it rains,” he added.
Over the last 10 years, about 2,800 acres of coffee plantations and paddy
fields in Kodagu have been converted for commercial purposes. Towns in
Kodagu have rapidly expanded to give rise to new layouts which have been
constructed in between the towns. The layouts also expand and towns start
to join each other and become larger towns. “This is bad because these
areas were forest lands, which were home to various species of medicinal
plants. Now they are being destroyed,” he added.
Local activists lament the government’s decision to destroy sacred forest

land to construct national highways. The estimated cost is pegged at
destruction of 3 lakh trees in Kodagu, which is a bio diversity hotspot.
Currently, geologists and soil scientists are taking stock of the situation in
Kodagu and are trying to determine the exact cause of the landslides.
However, Dr Kushalappa says that based on preliminary inspection, the
soil from the landslides had landed in the river streams and tributaries of
River Cauvery, which has caused major flooding in Madikeri area.
"The mud has blocked the course of water, forcing the diversion of streams.
This has resulted in water entering low lying areas and flooding," he added.

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Deforestation In Karnataka(Kodagu)

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Kodagu has

Illegal sand mining and destruction of safety ridges

According to rescuers who were part of the District Disaster Management

Speaking to TNM, Colonel Cheppudira Muthanna, President of the Coorg

Rampant deforestation for tourism and infrastructure development

Kodagu’s landscape comprises of dissected and moderately sloping

Local activists lament the government’s decision to destroy sacred forest

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