The Mahadayi project’s proposal to use 71 acres of forest land in Karnataka has been removed again from the central forest ministry’s list after the state government failed to provide requested information, according to a report by Prajavani published on November 12.
The proposal, submitted by the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam, seeks approval for forest use in the Belagavi district villages of Nerse, Manturg and Bacholi in Khanapur taluk. The land would be used for a pipeline, a pump house and power transmission infrastructure linked to the Bandura Nala diversion project.
The forest ministry had clarified on July 13 that approval for the project would be considered only after cases pending before the Supreme Court were resolved. It also directed the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam to provide an explanation on the matter, the report said.
Following that direction, the forest department’s nodal officer, identified as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, instructed the Deputy Conservator of Forests in Belagavi on August 6 to obtain the required explanation. The Deputy Conservator of Forests subsequently sought information from the corporation.
However, the state government had not provided a response to the forest ministry by the time the proposal was reviewed again. The ministry therefore removed it from the list. The report said the proposal had also been removed in April because the state government had not supplied the required information at that stage.
The proposal was later submitted again after the state government responded in May. The latest removal indicates that the forest clearance process remains tied not only to the pending Supreme Court cases but also to the submission of information sought by the central authorities.
The development adds another administrative obstacle to a project that requires forest diversion approval for its core physical components. The proposed pipeline, pumping facilities and electricity line would pass through forest land across the three villages in Khanapur taluk, making the approval a necessary step before those works can proceed on the proposed land.
The Mahadayi project has also been the subject of criticism over the state government’s handling of the forest ministry’s requests. Prajavani reported that the government faced strong criticism after the proposal was removed in April for want of information, before submitting its response in May.
The latest status does not amount to a final rejection of the project proposal. It means that the proposal is no longer on the ministry’s list while the requested clarification remains pending, according to the report. The ministry’s July position also keeps the Supreme Court proceedings central to any future consideration of approval.
The next formal step will depend on the Karnataka government providing the required information and on the status of the cases before the Supreme Court. Until then, the forest-use approval sought for the Bandura Nala diversion project remains unresolved.
