GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
With the reign of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ending after three years in office and a new cabinet to be in place with the swearing in of D K Shivkumar as the Karnataka CM, there is a lot of interest on who will get the portfolio of Forest, Ecology & Environment? With a lot of hydroelectric projects including Mekedatu (inside Cauvery Sanctuary), Sharavathi PSP (inside Sharavathi LTM Sanctuary), power transmission lines, highway projects and linear structures in the pipeline which will cut across forests of the state, it remains to be seen whether the new CM will retain the present forest minister Eshwar Khandre who has been pro-active.
According to many environmentalists, wildlife experts and environment groups, the performance of Eshwar Khandre has been good compared to any other previous forest ministers who have never served the cause of either forests, wildlife or environment. In his tenure, Khandre has been in the forefront to take back encroached forest lands from encroachers. To resolve the issue of land classification of disputes in Karnataka, Khandre has given fillip to Joint Survey of Deemed Forest Lands in the state that is presently going on.
More than 12,300 acres that were encroached in many districts of the state have been taken back by the forest department. In fact, 7,500 acres of leased forest land (of pre-independence time) in three districts – Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu were reclaimed. Some of his notable achievements include – 2,602 acres of encroached forest lands recovered with highest recovery in Kolar division (1,392.41 acres). Additional recovery includes 128 acres worth ₹4,000 crore recovered near Kothanur and filed case against revenue officials. But still a lot needs to be done as more than two lakh acres of forest land is encroached in the state.
But, he has made a lot of efforts to take back forest lands that were leased to PSUs and were not taken back even after the unit had shut down. Currently, the case of HMT which is in the Supreme Court, the state is in the process of recovering 599 acres of forest land worth Rs 14,300 crore in Peenya-Jalahalli, Bengaluru. He further served notices to two serving forest officers and action against two retired officers who had filed an IA in the Supreme Court for denotification of this reserve forest land leased to HMT without obtaining the prior approval of the state cabinet.
Apart from this, he was successful in the declaration of Hessarghatta grasslands as a “Conservation Reserve” and nearly 5678 acres in Yelahanka were notified as Greater Hessarghatta Grasslands Conservation Reserve in February, 2025. With this notification, it will safeguard the last remaining grassland ecosystem in the region. This is a treasure trove of biodiversity and a refuge for many wild animals and endangered birds. It will also serve as a crucial catchment for the Arkavathi basin and a vital refuge for migratory birds and species including the Lesser Florican.
Apart from this, the forest minister was successful in creating another big lung space in Bengaluru on the lines of Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. The Vishwaguru Basavanna Biodiversity Park will be spread across 153 acres in northern part of Bengaluru and will become an important lung space for a congested city whose population has exploded to 1.4 crores.
The establishment of this park marks the first time in over 150 years that the city is establishing a large-scale lung space of this magnitude. Native tree species, a medicinal plants zone, a bird habitat and an arboretum (specialized botanical garden) will be created. 11 crore saplings had been planted across Karnataka in the last three years.
During his tenure, afforestation efforts were speeded up – 15 crore saplings were planted in urban areas as well as along national, state highways and roads across the state. Further, 15,000+ acres were notified as forest land (2023-24 & 2024-25).
A city like Bengaluru needs at least 33 percent green cover and roughly 10 crore trees to remain healthy, he says. So, 250 acres worth Rs 10,000 crore was restored in Kadugodi and Turahalli. Efforts are on to reclaim 444 acres of forest land in Jarakabande from the Indian Air Force after the cancellation of a 2017 land grant. In Yelahanka, he has directed the Air Force to either return 159 acres of reserved forest land used for the international air show or provide alternative land, as the area remains legally classified as forest.
With increasing Human-Wildlife Conflict, a Task Force was formed in October 2025 for conflict management and recurring tiger and human deaths. However, the spate of tiger deaths in tiger range districts due to poisoning and hunting in 2025, Khandre has faced criticism of forest department’s inept handling of conflict issues, inadequate patrolling and protocol implementation during his tenure.
Under voluntary relocation scheme of forest dwellers, 300 families had applied for relocation from Kudremukh National Park. With the relocation scheme restarted again, a compensation of Rs 2.38 crore was provided to 5 families for rehabilitation last year. This scheme will be implemented in phases depending on the budgetary support. Earlier, 300 families were relocation between 2010-15. Further, initial efforts have been made to relocate people through voluntary relocation scheme in the Talewadi Gawali village, Bhimgad Sanctuary, Khanapur taluk, Belagavi district.
Eshwar Khandre, Congress MLA from Bhalki, Bidar district and son of late veteran Congress leader Bheemana Khandre, has made efforts to protect the forest wealth of the state since his appointment as Forest Minster in the 2023 Siddaramaiah led Congress government in Karnataka. But this is not an easy job with pressures from various MLAs. A few environmentalists and wildlife conservationists expressed their hope of Eshwar Khandre retaining his portfolio and appreciated his efforts of notifying Hessarghatta Grasslands, his anti-encroachment drives, and afforestation programs in various districts with planting of native species followed by auditing of their survival rates.
In his X (Twitter) Post last year, Eshwar Khandra had stated that Karnataka has been at the forefront of forest conservation, afforestation programs, and wildlife protection while maintaining a delicate balance between ecological preservation and economic growth. However, the path to a greener Karnataka and a healthier planet lies in collective responsibility and decisive action, he added.