Green Minute News:
Karnataka forest officials have started recovery of 120 acres of encroached forest land in Bengaluru. The encroachment of 120 acres of forest land in Kadugodi is worth a whopping Rs 4000 crore.
In the aftermath of necessary clearances and identification of the encroached forest land, the operations began early this morning and will continue for another two days. The Kadugodi Plantations are located at Survey No:1, Bidarahalli hobli in Bengaluru East.
On the directions of state Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre, the state forest officials swung into action and started the recovery of 120 acres of forest land that was declared as a “state forest” in 1896.
A team led by Forest Department officials from Bengaluru Urban Division, went into clearing the encroached forest land using JCBs amidst tight police security. The forest officials were seen busy marking the boundary, fencing the cleared forest lands and planting saplings of native varieties that are suitable for the city’s ecology and habitat. The market value of the forest land being reclaimed today is estimated to be around Rs. 4000 crore.
In a recent review meeting, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre had said, “Bengaluru is growing extensively and the green cover is decreasing day by day. Therefore, I have given clear instructions to forest officials that the city’s breathing spaces should be protected. As per Supreme Court directions to all states on the issue of recovery of forest lands and the order, once a forest is always a forest, officials brought to my notice of encroachment in Kadugodi. So, adhering to all norms and laws, I have given directions for recovery of 120 acres of forest land in Kadugodi, Bengaluru.”
Apart from this, a total of 128 acres of encroached forest land has been cleared and recovered in Bengaluru in the last two years. The process for recovery of 699 acres of forest land in Peenya-Jalahalli Plantations is still going on as it is mired in litigation and controversies.
If this120 acres of Kadugodi forest land is added to the earlier recovery of 128 acres, then totally 248 encroached forest land has been recovered in Bengaluru. The market value of these encroached forest lands is more than Rs 8000 crore. Welcoming the efforts to recovery of encroached forest lands, activists said the state government should move in fast to reclaim encroached forest lands in Western Ghats and other districts of Karnataka.