Quarries around Sloth Bear Sanctuary irk people

BANGALORE: After the steel plant, the quarries operating around Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Bellary, have been a cause of concern for ecologists and the local people around.Officials from the forest department, local people, stakeholders and ecologists met recently and have drawn a proposal to put a check on the quarries. The proposal will soon be submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF), said a forest official, on condition of anonymity. Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary spread across an area of 55.87 sq/ km, about 15km from Hampi, was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1994. This is the only sanctuary in Karnataka specially created to protect sloth bears. Besides 180 sloth bears, the sanctuary with its rocky terrain, boulders and caves, also houses 200 varieties of birds, leopards, hyenas, wild boars, jackals and painted spur fowls. “After strong opposition form wildlife activists and the state wildlife board, government has refused to permit setting up a steel plant near the sanctuary. But the blasting work happening every now and then at the quarries has been a real problem for the animals in the sanctuary” he said.Speaking to Express, the official said, “About 15 quarries are within half a km distance from the Daroji Sanctuary. It would not only harm the bears but also damage their ecosystem.”Based on the guidelines issued by the MOEF for declaring the areas around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zone we have put forward the proposal. He said, “As per the guidelines, quarries and other activities are to be permitted at least about 2 km away from the sanctuary.”Meanwhile, B K Singh, principal chief conservator of Forests (Wildlife) said, “We are yet to receive the proposal, once we receive, we will verify it and send it to the Ministry of Environment and Forests.”