Meera Bhardwaj:
Long rafting in Kali River will be stopped within this week, Karnataka Forest Department assures. Currently, two resort owners have been carrying long rafting of 7-12 kilometres in the Kali River violating both Wildlife Protection Act and Forest Conservation Act.
On holidays and weekends, boisterous crowds and adventure seeking youth from Bengaluru and Mumbai descend on Ganeshgudi and Dandeli seeking long rafting with nine rapids never realizing the serious consequences of their activity on the fragile habitat and the wildlife.
Complaining about the unregulated rafting activities especially long rafting in the Kali River, activists in Dandeli said, “Private operators have been flouting all rules and regulations by conducting both illegal mid-river and long rafting, thereby, disturbing the nesting and breeding activities of the four different types of Hornbills found in the Hornbill Conservation Reserve.”
The continued presence of tourists and adventure seekers right from morning till evening has caused a lot of disturbance to wildlife’s access to water and habitat, they add.
Speaking to Green Minute News, Haliyal DCF, Dr Prashant K C said necessary measures have been taken to stop long rafting on Kali River in the wake of its adverse impact on hornbills and other wildlife. However, short rafting will continue as it has been going on for the last 10 years. Short rafting will be restricted to a distance that a resort owner owns land opposite the Kali River.”
The Haliyal DCF further said that the Karwar Deputy Commissioner has given assurances to the Karnataka Forest Department the stoppage of long rafting within a few days. The delay has been caused due to the ongoing assembly session in Belagavi, however, the Karwar DC had assured of immediate action to stop long rafting in Kali River.
Earlier, the Karnataka Forest Department had apprised the Karwar Deputy Commissioner of the adverse impact of long rafting in the Kali River which criss-cross the Hornbill Conservation Reserve and a notified forest. Apart from this, a detailed report about the impact of long rafting conducted by two resorts – State Adventure Zone (12 kms) and Whistling Woodz (6-7 kms) was also sent to the Karnataka State Tourism Department who had assured of immediate action.
As per existing rules framed in 2010, it is only Jungle Lodges & Resorts Ltd (JLR) who have exclusive rights for White Water Rafting in Kali River and no private entities are allowed. Further, JLR, conducts white water rafting on “regulated stretches” of the Kali River. This is in the background of the fragile habitat of hornbills, especially around the Ganeshgudi and Jungle Lodges areas.
Rafting in Kali River from the Supa Dam side, Ganeshgudi is usually conducted between October and June after the retreat of the south west monsoons. This is also based on the dam flows and on the Karnataka Forest Department permissions.
For more details on this issue, read about it in: LONG RAFTING IN KALI RIVER – FLOUTING NORMS IN HORNBILL HABITAT, KFD ASSURES ACTION – Green Minute
The notified forest near the Kali River is the Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka which is home to tigers, black panthers, elephants, gaurs, sloth bears, Sambar, chital, wild boars, Malabar Giant Squirrel, langurs. Further, the Hornbill Conservation Reserve which starts from the Supa Dam is a habitat for rich birdlife including several species of Hornbills (two Schedule-1 species) with the river being its vital lifeline.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL IMAGES BY MEERA BHARDWAJ AT DANDELI, UTTAR KANNADA DISTRICT, KARNATAKA)