The economic argument for the Ken-Betwa Link Project has also not been factored against the significant ecological toll that damming a river, diverting its course and disrupting ecosystems will bring.
After its expansion, the Karwar port’s annual capacity to handle cargo is expected to increase from the current 3 million tonnes to 4.5 million tonnes, according to project documents. The port expansion can lead to an increase in air pollution, risks oil spills in the water, and may permanently alter the land around the port, the documents show.
A new mining project has been a nightmare for the inhabitants of Pidarwah, a remote village about 600 km from Bhopal, in the heart of central India’s coal belt.
Seemingly small-scale disturbances in ecologically sensitive areas are likely to have a compounding impact on wildlife, endanger public health and exacerbate natural disasters.
The risk of meddling with the environment has been laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought the world to its knees.
India destroys thousands of acres of forest each year, loss supposedly offset by a compensatory afforestation scheme. But the scheme, now a new law, is undermining the rights of indigenous communities.
Spearheaded by local communities, grassroots projects are curbing the plight of deforestation in Meghalaya.
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