INDIA GREENS PARTY
Press Statement
Issued at iGP NHO Greendham, Uttarakhand on 9 August 2024
The India Greens Party (iGP) today requested the Centre and the Telangana Government to reconsider their decision to allot pristine forest land in Ananthagiri Hills for Radar Station project.
The party objects to the recent decision by the Modi Government and the Telangana Government to allocate pristine, biodiverse forest land in the Ananthagiri Hills and Damagundum forests for a new radar station project.
This decision will necessitate the cutting down of approximately 1.2 million trees and disrupt the delicate balance of rare flora and fauna that these forests sustain.
The iGP is deeply concerned about the profound environmental repercussions this project will entail. The destruction of these forests poses an immediate threat to local rivers such as the Musi and Kagna, potentially leading to severe flooding and exacerbating the impacts of global warming and climate change.
The ecological damage caused by this deforestation could mirror past catastrophes, such as those witnessed in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, and recently in Wayanad of Kerala where landslides and severe environmental degradation have had devastating consequences for human lives and livelihoods.
The Ananthagiri Hills and Damagundum forests are not only rich in biodiversity but also play a crucial role in maintaining the region’s climate stability and water cycle. The proposed radar station project threatens to disrupt this balance, potentially leading to irreversible damage to the environment and placing at risk the lives and livelihoods of residents in at least 20 nearby villages.
In response to this alarming development, environmental activists and concerned citizens have mobilised to stage protests across 18 cities. The India Greens Party stands in solidarity with these protestors, emphasising the urgent need to reconsider this decision.
The environmental costs of the radar station project far outweigh any purported benefits, and the party urges both the Modi Government and the Telangana state government to halt this project and explore alternative solutions that do not involve the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources.
The India Greens Party calls for an immediate and comprehensive environmental impact assessment to be conducted and for transparent dialogue with all stakeholders involved including the Damagundan Forest Protection Joint Action Committee, ecologists, climatologists, wildlife and biodiversity experts.
We demand that the governments prioritise environmental conservation and the well-being of local self-sustaining communities and biodiversity over any economic or security related gains in this era of runaway global heating and irreversible climate breakdown. The future of our planet and health of our natural ecosystems depends on the decisions we make today.
The Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister of India should bear in mind that any such potential large destruction of forests in a biodiverse region adversely impacts India’s commitment to protect 30% of land and waterways for nature under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
– Issued by Suresh Nautiyal, Chief Spokesperson
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(India Greens Party is registered with the Election Commission of India under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Registration Number: 56/476/2018-19/PPS-I, effective from 18/07/2019.)
National Head Office: GreenDham AnandiChait, IndraBalbhadra Parisar, Unchir-Dunktok, SH-31, PO-Ghurdauri, Distt-Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, INDIA. PIN-246194.
Email: contact@indiagreensparty.org Website: https://indiagreensparty.org
