Gargai Dam: Civic body throws tribals under the bus

The Gargai Dam site at the Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

Will the removal of anthropogenic interference - such as farming, hunting practices, a highway, etc. - and building a dam at the spot instead, help improve and enrich a habitat? The BMC certainly thinks so. The BMC, in reply to the objections raised by National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) to the Gargai Dam project, has made such shocking claims. The project that will submerge more than four lakh trees is back in the news, as the Shinde-Fadnavis government wants to pursue it. It had been halted due to the proposed destruction of trees by the Uddhav Thackeray led-MVA government.

The BMC replied on January 29, 2021, to the objections raised by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) - Wildlife Thane on a National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) proposal. The BMC's 118-pages Interim Confidential Report has been submitted along with the Gargai Dam proposal to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC). A copy of the same, made public recently, is in possession of mid-day.

While talking about anthropogenic (caused by humans and their activities) interference, the BMC, in the confidential interim report submitted to the Forest Department, stated, "They (tribals) hunt the animals and birds with bows and arrows or with catapults and consume every animal regardless of the species. Sometimes they even eat crows and owls. This method of direct persecution is indeed affecting the survival of wild animals in this area. We have confirmed that owls and their products are used for witchcraft and gambling. However, during our interviews, none of the tribals accepted that they use owl eggs for gambling."

Gargai dam will be spread over 1,100 hectares and will affect another 700 hectares. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

BMC, in the anthropogenic interference paragraph in the report has stated, "Owlets are hunted and captured for witch craft". To this, the DCF (Wildlife) has stated, "No such incident has been reported in the sanctuary so far. Actually, the rich forest of the sanctuary is the cause of occurrence of forest owlet. Diversion and degradation of a large patch of forest for the project will negatively affect wildlife and seriously disturb the habitat of the endemic forest owlet (Athene blewetti), discovered after more than 100 years and listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List."

‘Remove human interference'

Replying to the DCF's observation, BMC stated, "Incident of anthropogenic factor of "witchcraft" is reported in, ‘Ecological studies of Forest Owlet (Heteroglaux blewitti and Athene blewitti) Final Report by Principal Investigator Asad R Rahmani and Research Fellow. Girish A Jathar of Bombay Natural History Society 2004 on page No. 53'. The second reference is found in an article titled ‘The Critically Endangered Forest Owlet' published in December 2008 by Girish A. Jathar, on Page No. 5. This article also provides a photograph of a witch doctor performing rituals in which they use the eggs and certain body parts of the forest owlet. Also, it is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List since 2018.

Though the incident quoted therein relates to tribals in Toranmal; the risk of occurrence of similar harm cannot be ruled out in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. Removal of human interference from this habitat is in the best interest of conservation of this endangered species. Removal of highway, means of communication, human population and all anthropogenic stress will also result in vacating 324 hectares of land under cultivation by the inhabitants of the six villages along with their houses, domestic animals, hunting practices and every other interference. Addition of a water body will help in improvement of habitat of avifauna and creation of grasslands will enrich the habitat for amphibians, reptiles and rodents. A short note on the forest spotted owlet is attached to substantiate how the foraging habitat and feeding ecology of this endangered species will be benefitted (refer Appendix ‘I')." (SIC)

In the report, BMC has also mentioned a short note about the forest spotted owlet [Athene (Heteroglaux) blewitti]. While talking about degrading specific trees, BMC states in the report, "Tribal communities living in the forest build their houses/huts by using teak and bamboo, which they collect from forest area, affecting the species directly."

Talking about the use of pesticides and rodenticides, BMC states, "Nowadays tribal people use various kinds of pesticides to protect their crops from pests. Almost 73 per cent people use pesticides and rodenticides to protect their crop against various pests. Among these, 64 per cent use only pesticide and 36 per cent use pesticide as well as rodenticides. They use pesticides like DDT, BHC, endosulfon, endrin and rogar and locally available rodenticides.

This can be detrimental for the long-term survival of the forest owlet in this area. They hunt the animals and birds with bows and arrows or with catapult and consume every animal regardless of the species. Sometimes they even eat crows and owls. This method of direct persecution is indeed affecting the survival of wild animals in this area. We have confirmed that owls and their products are used for witchcraft and gambling. However, during our interviews, none of the tribals accepted that they use owl eggs for gambling."

‘Not blaming tribals'

In reply to a query by mid-day, the BMC sent a clarification about NERIL (Naik Environment Research Institute Ltd), which on behalf of the civic body, replied to the objection raised by the DCF. It said, "It is clear that the statements made on behalf of BMC are based on the authentic research paperwork. During the interaction of NERIL senior staff with the villagers, this finding of the scientists about the use of owls' body parts and eggs in witch craft was confirmed. It must also be noted that the BMC has no intention to blame any set of tribal villages or their indigenous practices. The intent is to create a safe and conducive habitat for all the wildlife including this rare and endangered owl."

‘Everything owl at once'

Talking about the conservation status of the forest owlet, BMC has stated, "Given the increasing number of reports of this species it is likely that the global population size is likely to be >250 mature individuals, and so it is now placed in the range of 250-999 mature individuals. It is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2018. It is threatened by loss and degradation of forests due to illegal logging, encroachment by humans and forest fires. There is an immediate need to declare this site as protected area or to declare it as a community reserve."

Gargai dam project

The Gargai dam project was supposed to be complete by 2025 but it was halted due to massive destruction of over 4 lakh trees by the Uddhav Thackeray led-MVA government. As per the proposal, Gargai dam will be spread over 1,100 hectares and will affect another 700 hectares and over 4 lakh trees at Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition, residents of 1,000 homes will have to be relocated in Palghar. The process to move PAP is going on simultaneously with forest and environmental permissions.

Only Rs 3.5 crore provision was announced for the Rs 4,000-crore project in the budget for FY 2021-22 and there was no provision in 2022-23 and there isn't any separate mention in 2023-24 budget also. A senior BMC official said, "The joint survey for the compensation of land is under process. We will need environmental clearance and forest department permission too as it involves Tansa sanctuary. The project needs various permissions as well as relocation of residents. The work is on."

During MVA's tenure in the state, the BMC focussed on the desalination plant at Manori for Rs 3,500 crore, which includes set-up cost of Rs 1,600 crore and maintenance of the plant for a period of 20 years at Rs 1,900 crore. The plant is estimated to supply 200 million litres of water per day (MLD) at the initial stage, which can be increased to 400 MLD later.

The detailed survey report for the desalination plant was submitted to the BMC in November 2022. But the civic body hasn't floated the tenders for the same. However, if this project is stopped, the civic body will have to turn to the Gargai project again. In fact, the civic body had plans to build three dams - Gargai (440 MLD), Pinjal (865 MLD) and Damanganga-Pinjal River link project (1,586 MLD) to increase the supply by 2,891 MLD by 2050.

Inputs by Prajakta Kasale