(i) a. Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
b. Biological Diversity Act, 2002
c. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
d. Environment Protection Act, 1986
(ii) Connecting rivers or connecting cities by constructing roads have the following environmental effects:
(a) They form barriers to animals.
(b) Construction of roads requires cutting down of trees and results in large scale deforestation.
(c) They occupy large land resources resulting in loss of habitat of various species.
(d) It can alter the water flow pattern and damage many ecosystems.
(e) Increase in air, water, soil and noise pollution can disturb various animals and birds, thus affecting their behavioural pattern.
(iii)(a) The Western Ghats, is one of the global biodiversity hotspots and retains more than 30% of all plant, aquatic, reptile, amphibian and mammal species found in India.
(b) Recently, this ecologically sensitive region has been subjected to various developmental activities that have adversely affected the flora and fauna of the region.
(c) Bauxite mining is one such activity which has had significant negative impact on the local environment. To access bauxite ore deposits, the above-ground vegetation needs to be completely removed, causing large scale deforestation. The vegetation in the adjoining area is also affected due to dumping.
(d) The major threats of this activity include vegetation loss, forest fragmentation and biodiversity loss.
(e) Since most mines fall in Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ), it has seriously affected the flora and fauna of the Western Ghats.
(f) Black panthers have frequently been spotted at various locations in the Western Ghats and mining in these areas can seriously affect their health and numbers.
(g) Certain species of Ceropegia and Eriocaulon that are endemic in the area have been reported to be critically endangered.
[Source: Chandore A. (2015) Endemic and threatened flowering plants of Western Ghats with special reference to Konkan region of Maharashtra. Journal of Basic Sciences. 2 (21-25)]
Hence it is most likely that bauxite mining in Western Ghats has adversely affected the critically endangered species like – Black panther, different Ceropegia spp., Eriocaulon spp.
