Bird paradise Though illegal mining has left an irreparable impact on the ecosystem, Sandur valley has retained a character of wilderness. Samad Kottur describes the significance of this biodiversity hotspot, a preferred destination of nature enthusiasts. For people in the rest of Karnataka, the name Ballari evokes memories of illegal mining, hot summer and drought. Rich deposit of minerals proved fatal to the ecosystem destroying its flora and fauna. Undeterred extraction of iron and manganese ore had scarred the beauty of the district in the past decade. The 48-kilometre stretch of Sandur valley, the biodiversity hotspot of the district, gives a brief picture of what has been lost in the...
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