Mysuru: Wildlife conservationist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi has cautioned that the rich landscapes and biodiversity showcased in his documentary ‘Cauvery: River of Life’ could become history if the proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir project is implemented. 

Speaking after the screening of the documentary at the Mysuru Literature Festival (MLF) on Saturday, Dr. Gubbi said that the film took four years to complete as his team documented the Cauvery and its wildlife through all seasons. 

Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, he said, the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is home to several rare and endangered species whose habitats should not be disturbed by large infrastructure projects. 

Referring to the Mekedatu project, he said, over 60 percent of the land required for the balancing reservoir falls within the core area of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. “The river stretches and wildlife habitats featured in this documentary will become history if the project goes ahead,” he said, expressing concern over its ecological impact. 

Dr. Gubbi also warned that the project could aggravate the already serious human-wildlife conflict in the region. He further pointed out that the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a crucial buffer for dispersing surplus tiger populations from B.R. Hills and M.M. Hills. 

“If this habitat is lost, human-tiger conflict is likely to increase in areas around B.R. Hills and M.M. Hills. We cannot continue destroying precious forests, which are the catchments of our rivers, to meet the ever-growing demand for Bengaluru,” he said. 

Maintaining that the Mekedatu project would not benefit Karnataka in the long run, Gubbi urged citizens to actively participate in the public discourse by using every available platform, including newspapers and social media, to raise awareness about its potential environmental consequences.