Meera Bhardwaj:
Bringing three cheers to conservation, Karnataka adds another 28 square kilometres of forests as additional Buffer Zone area to Bhadra Tiger Reserve (BTR). Apart from this, 16 sq kms of reserve forest will be added to the Core Zone of BTR, thereby increasing its total area to 500.16 sq kms.
This will not only provide a vital link and a contiguous corridor between Bhadra Tiger Reserve and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary but also provide a solution to the serious issue of human-wildlife conflicts in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts of Karnataka.
Approximately an area of 27.956 square kilometres of Chornadehalli and Kaithotlu forests will be added as BUFFER ZONE area to Bhadra Tiger Reserve as per notification issued on March 27, 2025.
Speaking to Green Minute, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said this expansion will address the issue of human-elephant conflict that has been taking place in these regions. Further, we are planning to have a Soft Release Centre of 20 sq kms in Bhadra and our intention is to direct the resident-conflict elephants from estates of Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Kodagu to this centre and thereby, mitigate the conflict. Rs 20 crore has been provided which will be enhanced to Rs 50 crore soon.”
ADDITION OF 10,000 ACRES OF FOREST
The expansion includes an area of 2625.96-hectare are of Chornadehalli State Forest and 169.67-hectare area of Kaithotlu Minor Forests. Therefore, it will be about 7000 acres of forest added. However, this will exclude enclosures, revenue land parcels, and areas released for rehabilitation.
In addition to this, 15.59 square kilometres of Kakanahosodi reserve forest that is approximately 3000 acres of forest has been included in the core zone of Bhadra Tiger Reserve. Totally, about 10,000 acres of forest area will now be under the jurisdiction of Bhadra Tiger Reserve.
EXCHANGE FOR SHIVAMOGGA CITY
Due to the boundary issues between Shivamogga and Shettihalli Sanctuary, 40 per cent of Shivamogga city in fact, was under this Sanctuary. To resolve this problem, the state government has issued this order and address the conditions imposed by Centre for Shettihalli Re-notification.
This is, in fact, an exchange of the area (40 percent of Shivamogga city) under the Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary which ironically included even the City Bus Stand of Shivamogga, market area and other city parts.
EXPANSION WELCOMED
Wildlife experts and activists welcomed the expansion of the buffer zone of Bhadra Tiger Reserve and said the state government has taken an ambitious step to protect the tiger habitat. This is a “Solution to a long-standing problem” of the tiger reserve.
This notification by the state government has given emphasis to wildlife movement, breeding and conservation of tigers in this area and the protection of other wildlife in the entire protected area.
ENHANCED FUNDING
The expansion will not only provide financial assistance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority but will also provide additional assistance to the department for hiring additional staff, setting up of new anti-poaching camps, and protecting the forest from fires. The elephant project will also provide assistance with the elephant corridor receiving protection and thereby, curbing human-elephant conflict that is rampant in Umblebyle and N R Pura.
In fact, wildlife activists had been requesting the government to implement this proposal for many years, said wildlife conservationist Akhilesh Kumar Chipli. “We had been pleading with the government for this proposal for many years, and now the state government has finally taken this decision and solved a long-standing problem in Shivamogga district. This order is conducive to preventing human-wildlife conflict and scientifically managing and conserving the Sanctuary.”
THE BACKGROUND OF NOTIFICATION
As per Section 38 V (1) and (a) (ii) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Karnataka government has declared the notified forest areas of Chornadehalli state forest and Kaithotlu minor forest as the additional buffer area to the already notified buffer area of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve.
The Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) in its 73rd meeting held on 7.07.2023 had proposed to notify the Chornadehalli State Forest and Kaithotlu Minor Forest as part of buffer area of Bhadra Tiger Reserve so as to ensure proper management administratively and to provide vital link between the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary and the same was considered and approved by the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife in its 18th meeting held on 07.10.2024.
CONDITION FOR SHETTIHALLI RE-NOTIFICATION
Meanwhile, the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife in its 80th meeting held on 09.10.2024 had stipulated a condition while approving the proposal of re-notification of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary.
This condition stated that the areas of Chornadehalli and Kaithotlu be extended as buffer zone of Bhadra Tiger reserve to provide the vital link through Umblebyle (Bhadravati taluk) between the Bhadra Tiger Reserve and Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary.
VILLAGES INCLUDED IN BUFFER ZONE
The seven villages comprising 2796-hectare area that are included in Bhadra Tiger Reserve’s buffer area will be – Hurulihalli, Kaithotlu, Chornedehalli, Hallakkavilli, Kadekal, Kuskuru, Yeraganala, and Lakkinakoppa in Shivamogga taluk. However, this will not include Patta lands, revenue villages and revenue lands.
Eight villages which will fall in the Bhadra Tiger Reserve Buffer Zone will include – Kadekal, Korlahalli and Umblebyle Gram Panchayats in Bhadravati division, Umblebyle Range, Shivamogga district. With this order, the state government not only hopes for dispersal of elephants through the vital link of Umblebyle but also solve the rising conflict between humans and wildlife to some extent.