GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
300 acres of encroached forest land was cleared in Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary, Tumakuru district, Karnataka, India.
This protected area was declared as a sanctuary in 2019 and is dedicated for protection and conservation of the Indian Gazelle which are also known as Chinkaras. This is a rich habitat for various species inhabiting the wood savannahs – where lot of grasses grow and are sparsely interspersed with native tree species.
The Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 36,571 acres and is the second sanctuary in the state after Yadahalli Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary. Other than Chinkaras, four horned antelopes, black bucks, sloth bears, leopards and other species inhabit this sanctuary.
A total of 300 acres of encroached forest land was cleared on July 3rd falling in the Muthugadahalli Reserve Forest. This reserve forest is part of the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary in Tiptur sub-division of Tumakuru district.
Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Eshwar B Khandre congratulated the forest officers and staff who successfully carried out the clearance operation. It was on 12 October, 1926 that the Maharaja of Mysore granted this forest land – Survey No. 46 in Muthugadahalli, Ambarapura village to the Forest Department under the Mysore Forest Act. But later in 2001, this forest land was illegally allotted to some people by the revenue department.
Survey No: 46 in Ambarapura village comprises of 421.35 acres totally and out of this, 300 acres are forest land and rest 121 acres are non-forest land with farmers growing crops. So, over a period of two decades, encroachment of forest land started with acre after acre being grabbed by people and later illegally granted by the revenue department.
Speaking to Green Minute, V Yedukondalu, CF, Hassan-Tumakuru division said, “It is a good victory for protection of chinkaras and other wildlife. The encroached 300 acres of forest land was given to 73 persons by the revenue department over a period of 15-20 years. This process started in 2001 and people were growing crops like arecanut, coconut, cotton, pulses, etc.”
A case was registered by the Karnataka Forest Department in this regard in the High Court which issued orders for recovery of 300 acres of land as it was a reserve forest.
A complaint was also filed with the Lokayukta after the revenue officials failed to cancel the illegal sanction of forest land to these 73 persons. However, later the Lokayukta directed the revenue department to cancel all these illegal grants to these persons within 1.5 months, and register the 300 acres in the name of the Karnataka Forest Department.
On Thursday, the clearance operation was conducted in the aftermath of the cancellation of the illegal allotment of forest lands to local people.
Amidst the presence of police personnel., the forest land was completely cleared of encroachments. The Forest Minister further said that government officials and the public should understand that unless the forest land is diverted for other purposes, it still remains a forest land.