Environmental Damage Caused by Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) & Citizens' struggle for Sustainable development

7/30/2019 Environmental Damage Caused by Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) & Citizens' struggle for Sus

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www.rastr.in Tel: +91.9916135836, +91.9886024990 email: [email protected]

May 09, 2013

Public Release

Environmental Damage Caused by the BRTS Project andCitizens Struggle for Sustainable Development

Rashtrotthan Sankalp Trust (RASTR)

has taken up the cause to set right

the environmental damage caused

by the widening of the highway

between Hubballi and Dharwad for

the Bus Rapid Transit System

(BRTS) under the name

Mission 4000 Trees. Various CivilSociety Organisations,

environmentalists and citizens have

joined hands in this cause. On the

one hand, we are compelling the

government and other agencies to

compensate for the environmental

damage caused by the project funded by the World Bank and on the other, we are creating

awareness on this grave environmental issue among the citizens through public meetings,

leaflet distribution, signature campaign, awareness in educational institutions, etc. The

following is an account of the campaign of the citizens till date to protect the environment of

the Hubballi-Dharwad region against blind and rampant concretization and preserve it forfuture generations!

The 19.4 km highway between Hosur, Hubballi and Jubilee Circle, Dharwad in the twin-cities

of Hubballi-Dharwad coming under State Highway 73 (SH-73), is being widened to 8 lanes

by Hubballi-Dharwad BRTS Co. Ltd. RASTR has obtained information pertaining to the

project through various means including conversations with officials, through the Right to

Information (RTI) Act, 2005 and the websites of various agencies. Some important

documents may be found on our website http://rastr.in/M4KTrees.html.


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Originally, the project scope was to widen the existing road between Hubballi and Dharwad

to 4 lanes by KRDCL (http://www.krdcl.in). The contract was awarded to GVR Infra Projects

Ltd., Chennai (http://www.gvrinfra.com/) at a price of Rs. 119.11 crores. The Security

Deposit made by the Contractor is about Rs. 6 crores. The bids for the project were called in

Aug. 2010. The execution commenced on 30-Apr-2011 and was scheduled to be completed

by 29-Apr-2013. There was a Defect Liability period of 1 year after completion of the project,

during which the contractor is obligated to repair the road for any defects found, failing which

the Security Deposit may be forfeited. There was a further Maintenance Period of 2 years

after the Defect Liability Period of 1 year.

At present, there is confusion in the entire project. Now Hubballi-Dharwad BRTS have taken

over the project. It is now proposed to make the road 8 lane wide. It is pathetic that the

proponents of BRTS and 8 lane road between the twin cities did not explore the use of the

existing railway line between the two cities. Use of the railway line (with necessary

upgrades) which is within 100 meters of the proposed BRTS would have been not only

economical but would have also prevented the irreparable damage caused to the local

ecology. Railway as a mass rapid transit system is far less polluting than automobile based

transport that the 8-lane highway will encourage.

The State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)

(http://www.seiaa.kar.nic.in) constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forest,

Government of India, has accorded Environmental Clearance (EC) to the project with the

condition to plant about 4000 trees along the newly constructed highway as a

compensation to the trees that are cut for the road widening. KRDCL has paid the Forest

Department Rs. 27.24 lakhs only at a rate of Rs. 717 only per tree as compensatory

afforestation charges.

Contractors pull down hundreds of Giant Trees along the

Highway


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Dead Trunk of a magnificent

ancient tree

However, there are certain serious issues concerned with this matter as listed below:

1. Nearly 1800 fully grown trees which were part of the culture and heritage of Dharwad-

Hubballi were destroyed to make way for the project.

2. All the 1800 trees were auctioned off to contractors for a paltry consideration of Rs. 9

lakh only.

3. These 1800 trees destroyed included native trees of various types such as Neem,

Banyan, Mango, Tamarind, Pipal, etc. with girth (trunk diameter) greater than 1meter. Hundreds of them had a girth of 4 - 5 meters.

4. Many trees were hundreds of years old and were part of several generations of

citizens of the twin city. They were shelter to numerous species of birds and other

fauna.

5. Each tree is estimated to pump as much oxygen into the atmosphere as required

by 10 human beings. Thus, oxygen required for nearly 20,000 people in the twin

city is no more available after cutting of these trees. The damage done to the

habitat of the fauna (animals and insects) dependent on these trees is not counted by

the government.

6. A fully grown tree is estimated to cost about Rs. 50,000 per year in terms of itseconomical / ecological value. We would be losing Rs. 9 crores every year as a result

of axing these 1800 fully grown trees. In twenty years, the loss would be about

Rs. 180 crores

7. Thus the compensatory afforestation charge of Rs. 27.24 lakh is in fact no

compensation to the huge ecological damage done to the environment of the twin-

city.

8. There is no space available on either side of the proposed road to take up avenue

plantation, as private properties abut the highway.

9. Keeping these issues aside, it

is shocking to know thatneither KRDCL, nor H-D

BRTS Co. Ltd., nor the

Forest Department, Dharwad

have any firm plans in place

for the compensatory

afforestation. In written

replies to RTI queries, all the

agencies have passed the

buck to each other.

10. Further, the trees even if

planted, will take years to grow

to live independently. There

are neither any provisions nor

plans to shelter the trees or

care for them until they grow

up.


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A meeting of the Civil Society on

Mission 4000 Trees, H-D

Environmental Experts including Shri Suresh Heblikar, Eco Watch,

http://www.ecowatchindia.org/have condemned this act of rampant cutting of the trees along

the highway between Hubballi and Dharwad will affect the sensitive environment of this

region resulting in adverse impact to Soil, Climate and the Rainfall. In addition, ground water

resources also would be affected. It will affect the Bio Diversity of the region, thereby

affecting the Agricultural and Horticultural crops too. The temperature will soar adding to the

electricity bills. Hubballi-Dharwad is experiencing the shortage of water invariably. The loss

of tree cover will further worsen the situation by critically disturbing the hydrological pattern

and groundwater especially. For a lot of agricultural families, people who sell mangoes and

guavas and fodder, and also shepherds, these trees were the shelter. Also, the migratory

birds, aquatic birds took shelter on these trees. The bird population will also dwindle

affecting pollination and the local biodiversity. In fact, lot of these trees would have been

saved and still the road could have been widened. All said and done the precious

environment has already been affected thus resulting in future economic fallout. Added to

this, there would be more pollution caused by the increased traffic as a result of widening the

road.

The so-called Environmental Management Plan published on the website of the DULT and

H-D BRTS Co. Ltd. (http://stg1.kar.nic.in/urbantransport/HD_Reports.html) has no mention

of the tree cutting and compensatory afforestation or avenue plantation. The BRTS Co. is

also misleading the World Bank and violating the Central Governments directions.

Considering such serious lapses by KRDCL, H-D BRTS Co. Ltd. as well as the Karnataka

Forest Department, RASTR had appealed the SEIAA to reconsider the matter and issue

appropriate directions to KRDCL / Forest Department including:

1. Increased Compensatory Afforestation requirement

2. Directing KRDCL / Forest Department to publish a draft plan of compensatory

afforrestationimmediately. This must include:

a. Number and types /species of trees to beplanted

b. Location of trees tobe planted

c. Watering andProtection to beprovided to thesaplings againstanimals

d. Time-table / schedulefor various activities

e. Long-term care andnurturing to each of theplants, defining thenumber of years the saplings will be watered, protected and cared for /maintained.

3. Form a five member Observers Teamwith representation from Environmental Experts

and Civil Society to participate in the Compensatory Afforestation drive and to monitor


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Civil Society meeting with the

Conservator of Forest, Dharwad

and make appropriate recommendations to the authorities / agencies concerned to

make the compensatory afforrestation plan successful.

RASTR has taken up this cause under the name Mission 4000 Trees. Various Civil Society

Organisations, environmentalists and citizens have pledged their support to this cause

already. Civil society has been creating awareness on this grave environmental issue among

the citizens through sessions in schools, colleges, institutions and on the internet. Till date

over 10,000 signatures have been collected on a petition to the Chief Minsiter. On linesignatures are available at http://www.change.org/en-IN/petitions/plant-4000trees-along-

hubballi-dharwad-brts-highway. Over 3000 children belonging to various schools in the twin-

cities have signed a special petition to the CM to intervene and save the environment in a

campaign led by CMCA

(http://www.cmcaindia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=60#)

Civil society representatives have held several meetings since 2012 and have visited the

Commissioner of Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Govt. of Karnatak, the M.D.

of KRDCL, the Conservator of Forest, Dharwad, the D.C of Dharwad and the M.D of H-D

BRTS to press for compensation to the environment. The citizens have also met the CM in

this regard.The Demands put forth by the Citizens are as follows:

1. Publish a plan to take up Compensatory Afforestation at least at the rate of planting 10

native trees for every tree destroyed by the project i.e. plant 20,000 trees in Hubballi-

Dharwad as compensation.

2. Display the Environmental Clearance on boards prominently at the project site.

3. Publish a plan of Avenue Plantation immediately. This must include:

a. Address,

Telephone, FAX,

email & websiteof the Agency /

Official

responsible for

the Avenue

Plantation for this

project

b. Area / land

identified for the

Avenue

Plantationc. Number and types / species of trees to be planted

d. Specification of Protection / fencing / tree-guard to be provided to the saplings

against cattle and other animals

e. Watering and Manuring

f. Time-table / schedule for various activities


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Milestones / Chronology of events:

c. 2010: MLA, Hubbali-Dharwad Central and Chief

Minister, Jagadish Shettars pet project to widen

highway between Hubballi & Dharwad starts, but

without any consultation with the Citizens of the twin-

cities.

Apr-2011: KRDCL awards contract to widen the

highway between Hubballi & Dharwad to 4 lanes

Jun-2011: Forest department auctioned off 1800 age

old trees, which were integral part of the culture of

Dharwad-Hubballi, to timber contractors for a paltry

sum of Rs. 9 lakhs. Hundreds of magnificent trees that

adored the highway were brought down to ground

without any firm plans for compensation!

Aug-2011: Environmental Clearance received for the

project; One of the conditions is to grow 4000 trees

along the highway

May-2012: RASTR writes to SEIAA regarding no

plans for avenue plantation and other violations of

Environmental Clearance; RASTR obtains information

on the project through RTI and other means

Oct to Dec-2012: Several meetings of Civil Society

organised

Oct-2012: Civil society demands KRDCL, Forest

Department and Department of Urban Land Transport

to compensate the ecological damage.

Oct. 2012: Signature campaign begins; Over 10,000

signatures collected on a petition to the CM.

Jan. 2013: KRDCL transfers responsibility of the

project to H-D BRTS Co. Ltd.

May. 2013: RASTR complains to World Bank, which is

financing the HD-BRTS upto Rs. 500 crores, that the

DULT / HD-BRTS Companys Environment

Management Plan (EMP) does make mention of the

1800 trees destroyed for the project.

Till Date: H-D BRTS Co. Ltd. has no firm plans of

avenue plantation or compensatory afforestation but

only promises in air to take the citizens for a ride!

g. Long-term care and nurturing to each of the plants, defining the number of years

the saplings will be watered, protected and cared for / maintained.

4. Form a five member

Observers Team

with representation

from Environmental

Experts and CivilSociety to

participate in the

Avenue Plantation

and Compensatory

Afforestation drive

and to monitor and

make appropriate

recommendations to

the authorities to

make the

compensatory

afforestation and

Avenue Plantation

plan successful.

In response, HDBRTS Co.

and all government

agencies have so far paid

only lip service leaving

the compensatory

afforrestation and Avenue

plantation in limbo. In arecent meeting of citizens

with BRTS M.D., Noor

Mansoor, on 15-Feb-2013,

the company made claims

of planting 30,000 trees and

developing the ponds at

Bhairidevarakoppa and

Rayapur which are almost

destroyed due to the

project, but could produce

no concrete evidence of

any steps taken to make

the plantation a reality. The

engineering cross-section

drawings of the 8-lane

highway have no locations identified for avenue plantation.

Added to this there are inherent problems with BRTS. There is no space on either side of the

proposed alignment for avenue plantation. The BRTS Company has failed to produce


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cross-section plans of the road showing provisions for avenue plantation. The electric

poles / lines have not been planned to accommodate avenue plantation.

One of the biggest problems seems to be that of reconciling the old plan of 4 lane with the 8

lane BRTS. Only about 1 m median was planned for the original 4 lanes planned by KRDCL.

Many kilometers of work as per this plan has been completed with crores of rupees spent for

the concrete pavement. The CM is reported all set to inaugurate a stretch of the half

completed highway with an eye on the impending assembly elections. The BRTS, howeveris having a 4 meters wide median. No one knows what will happen to the crores of

rupees spent for the alignment with only 1 meter wide median space left at present, if

BRTS has to have 4 meter wide median.

RASTR has complained the World Bank, which is financing the HD-BRTS upto Rs. 500

crores, that the DULT / HD-BRTS Companys Environment Management Plan (EMP) does

not even make a mention of the 1800 trees destroyed for the project, nor does it speak of

even one tree to be planted in compensation, far from the claim of 30,000 trees made by

HD-BRTS Co.

The Citizens led by RASTR are determined to make Avenue plantation as envisaged in the

Environmental Clearance and the Compensatory Afforestation a reality before thecommissioning of the widened road / BRTS. More vigorous campaign is planned in the

future and the civil society is gearing up to take the movement to the next level including

intensified protests and exploring legal action. A huge Awareness and Protest March of

citizens is planned on 5-June of the occasion of the World Environment Day. Citizens

are requested and expected to join this campaign to preserve a better environment for

themselves and present a greener future for their children!

Jai Hind!

(Santosh P. Nargund)

Adhyaksha,

Rashtortthan Sankalp Trust

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Environmental Damage Caused by Hubballi-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) & Citizens' struggle for Sustainable development