Gust of dissent
environmentalists are strongly opposed to a 75 megawatt (mw) windpower installation of 75 windmills on the hilltop ridge of Bababudangiri hills in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka.
This range forms the outer rim of the Lakkavalli and Muthodi areas where lies the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve has been identified as a Global Tiger Conservation Priority Unit by the Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wide Fund for Nature, usa. The hills are home to a variety of fauna, including endangered birds.
Local environmental organisations, including the Nature Conservation Guild (ncg) and Wildlife Conservation Action Team, contend that the construction of the 42-kilometre road up to the windmill site on the hilltop would adversely impact the movement of animals in the area. The groups also debunk the rapid environmental impact assessment (eia) conducted at the site. They say that the eia contains insufficient data and is based on contradictory claims. In one section of the report, it is mentioned that the animals and their niches are not found on craggy crests of hillocks or in grassy downs. However, in the recommendations section it is stated that as wildlife is present in the nearby vegetation