The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has deferred a decision on Karnataka’s application for the diversion of forest land for the construction of the Kalasa nala irrigation projects in the Mahadayi basin.
In a meeting held in New Delhi on January 30, the NBWL’s standing committee cited multiple reasons such as the matter pending before courts and non-receipt of approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority as the reasons for the postponement of the decision. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Chairman of the NBWL, Yogendra Yadav, Minister for Forests and Ecology, is the chairman of the standing committee. Mr. Yadav headed the January 30 meeting.
