The Telangana government, on 24 January, transferred 1,174 hectares of the reserve forest land to the Navy for the establishing a very low frequency radar station.
Published Sep 25, 2024 | 3:00 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 25, 2024 | 8:38 PM
Damagundem Reserve Forest is home to several rare trees and is the lung of Hyderabad. (Adv Spandana Reddy/X)
The River Musi meanders through the sylvan woods, home to about 12 lakh rare species of trees, medicinal plants, and fauna.
The river quenches the thirst of the people in villages, provides water for agriculture, and fills two major reservoirs of Hyderabad, Osman Sagar, and Himayat Sagar, before coursing further east and joining the Krishna River at Vadapally in Nalgonda district.
Damagundam or the Damagudem forest in Vikarabad, about 80 km from Hyderabad, breathes life into Musi. The forest is a microcosm of a thriving and vibrant bio-diversity system. Ensconced inside the tranquil woods is the Ramalingeswara Swami Temple and the spartan Damagundam ashram, providing spiritual solace to disturbed souls.
A major part of this great natural forest will soon vanish forever. Casting a long shadow on its existence, the A Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government, on 24 January this year, transferred 1,174 hectares (2,901 acres) of the reserve forest land to the Navy for the locating a very low frequency (VLF) radar station at Poduru.
Climate change protagonists and social activists say that the day marked the beginning of the end of the exotic forest. The VLF station is scheduled for completion by 2027 to help fortify the Indian Navy’s communications capability for defence purposes.
“The project has to be scrapped in the interest of the environment. The VLF station will do irreparable damage to the vibrant ecosystem which is acting like a giant oxygen cylinder for Hyderabad. When we held a protest on 22 September at Indira Park in Hyderabad, there was a spontaneous response to our call for participation, says independent journalist Tulasi Chandu.
“People came from far-off places, even from other states. They brought lunch along with them and expressed solidarity with our cause.” Chandu has trekked the Damagundam forest extensively, promoting awareness among the people in the villages on the deleterious effects of the destruction of forests on human life.
“The government has not put the environmental impact assessment report in the public domain. Why this lack of transparency?” she asks.
Like Chandu, several environmental activists express concern over the possible adverse impact the VLF radar station might have on Hyderabad, besides robbing the livelihoods of the people who live in villages in the forest. The destruction of trees in the forest, it is feared, might one day turn Hyderabad into another Delhi, gasping for fresh air.
This apart, the Musi River, which has its origin in the forest might dry up. The medicinal power of the Musi River water is a lore. It used to be said that Musi waters have therapeutic value as they flow through the thick vegetation of medicinal plants. In the past, it used to be said that those who drank the water would be cured of all diseases. Maybe like the magical power of the waters in Lourdes in France.
“I wonder why the Navy should have a VLF station in a forest so close to Hyderabad. It makes sense to have it in Visakha. But why in Hyderabad which does not have any coastline since it is for enhancing the maritime capability of the Navy? I suspect it is because the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) officers want to live closer to Hyderabad. Apart from this, I do not see any reason why they should insist on Damagundam forest for the location of the VLF station,” says Chandu.
Though official statistics dispute the figures being put out by environmentalists regarding the destruction of trees in the forest, the fact remains that large-scale disturbance is sure to happen as the Navy begins putting in place its VLF station.
An antenna station will come up on 1,400 acres, a workstation on about 1,000 acres, and other constructions like quarters for the staff and officers on another 400 acres. The Navy is planning to have a 27 km road through the forest, which itself will cause a lot of dislocation in the forest area.
The Navy has already begun constructing a wall around the area that had been allotted to them. Environmentalists wonder about the purpose of spending ₹1.5 lakh on the Musi Riverfront Project if the river dries up as its place of origin — Ananthagiri in Vikarabad — will remain permanently disturbed.
Ironically, the government is taking measures that are being taken to protect Musi and the two reservoirs, Osman Sagar and Hiamayat Sagar, by removing the structures and buildings in their full tank level and buffer zone, and simultaneously allowing the VLF station in Damagundam.
At the time of the transfer of the forest land to the Indian Navy, the Telangana chief minister’s office, in an official communication, said that the VLF station was meant for communication with ships and submarines. The CMO said that the Navy was in touch with the state government for the transfer of the land since 2010, but it had not been done despite getting all environmental permits and clearances, because of the “negligence” of the previous government.
The special initiative of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, the press communication said, had removed all obstacles. The documents relating to the transfer of the land were given to Commodore Karthik Shankar, Circle DEO Rohit Bhupathi, and Captain Sandeep Das.
Officials of Vikarabad DFO and Naval Command Agency signed the agreement for the transfer of 1,174 hectares of forest land. In 2014, the Union Forest and Environment Department approved the Navy’s proposals.
The Damagudem Forest Protection Council has filed a petition in court seeking an order to cancel the project. The court has issued orders to take all precautions by the conditions decided by the government. Along with the navy station, the township would have schools, hospitals, banks, and markets.
This naval unit would have 600 personnel and other civilians. About 2,500 to 3,000 people would live in the township. Adequate measures would be taken to preserve biodiversity and ecological balance in the region through extensive planting.
The proposed VLF station will be the second in India, after the INS Kattabommana at Vijayanarayanam at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. Set up in 1990, INS Kattabomman is spread over 3,000 acres with 13 masts.
The state government maintains that the location of the VLF station would do a whale of good to Vikarabad. As schools, colleges, hospitals, and markets come up, the economy in the area would get a boost, opening up new livelihood opportunities.
The government says that only less than 1.000 trees would be removed and 50 percent of the forest area would be preserved. Every effort would be taken to minimise any damage to the ecological balance in the area.
However, environmental activists expressed doubt that political parties have their interests. “It is quite interesting to note that Vikarabad is part of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s home constituency of Kodangal,” says Chandu.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
