Meera Bhardwaj:
After a three-decade-long-battle, 110 acres of vacant forest land has been recovered from Sri Kamadhenu Cooperative Milk and Fruit Processing Society in Sirsi taluk of Uttar Kannada district, Karnataka. This is in the aftermath of Karnataka High Court orders dismissing the petition of Kamadhenu Society which had refused to vacate 389.07 acres of forest land that had been given on lease to them in 1969.
The lease period had expired in 1989; however, the Kamadhenu Society in Sirsi had refused to vacate the forest land and had gone to the High Court for redressal.
Following the Karnataka High Court orders, the forest department has recovered in the first phase only the unutilized vacant portion of forest land while the remaining 279.07 acres will be done phase-wise and gradually.
This is the first time in Western Ghats and Kanara Circle such a huge parcel of forest land has been recovered amidst a bit of resistance from the concerned people.
Speaking to Green Minute News, Sandip Suryawanshi DCF Sirsi Division said, “On August 23, we recovered around 110 Acres of vacant land of expired forest lease area from the Kamadhenu Society. This is one of the biggest ever forest land recovery in the Western Ghats and Kanara Circle. The rest of the forest land which amounts to around 279.07 will be recovered in phases giving them sometime as per the High Court orders.”
DCF Suryawanshi added, “The vacant land of 110 acres was cleared from morning till evening in the presence of police force on Sunday (August 23, 2026). There was a bit of resistance for about 3-4 hours but afterwards it was smooth sailing. This vacant land which had not been used by the Kamadhenu Society for decades had some green patches but it had no tree cover at all. This is a plain land with some undulating stretches here and there.”
After clearance of the encroached, vacant forest land, pitting and planting work (which are key steps in forest restoration) has been taken up on a large scale by the Sirsi Division, Kanara Circle. And this work will continue across the recovered 110 acres of forest land in the days to come.
Along with soil and moisture conservation works, plantation work is going on. The area is now being planted with a variety of native species that are endemic to the Western Ghats.
However, no commercial trees will be planted in these encroached, recovered forest lands, the DCF stressed.
The 389.07 acres of forest land which was given on lease during the Veerendra Patil led government to the Kamadhenu Society, is a very important corridor in the Western Ghats, Kanara Circle for movement of elephants and other wildlife in the state.
The Karnataka Forest Department is planning a stage-by-stage recovery as it involves agricultural lands with maize and paddy crops being grown in the encroached, leased and expired forest lands. Only after these two crops are harvested, the KFD will move to recover these forest lands.
Further, there are also arecanut plantations in this area which have to be recovered from the Kamadhenu Society following all the legal procedures set by the courts.
As per High Court orders, the Kamadhenu Society will be given a few months’ time and recovery of this forest lands will be done post-harvest of maize and paddy crops as it is a sensitive issue.
Further, on a seven-acre parcel of forest land, there are about 30-33 building structures including the factory of the Sri Kamadhenu Cooperative Milk and Food Processing Society.
As per High court orders, the Kamadhenu Society are supposed to demolish all the buildings and other structures built in the last few decades and then vacate and hand over these lands to the Karnataka Forest Department.
On August 12, 2026, the Karnataka High Court had dismissed a petition by the Sri Kamadhenu Cooperative Milk & Fruit Processing Society upholding the Forest Department’s right to reclaim 389.07 acres of ecologically sensitive forest land in Sirsi taluk, Uttar Kannada district.
This 389.07 acres of forest land given on lease to Kamadhenu Society in 1969, is situated between Sirsi and Banavasi in Uttar Kannada district, is contiguous with thick, verdant Sorab forest landscape and is a very significant pathway for traditional elephant migration.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL PHOTOS COURTESY SIRSI DIVISION, KARNATAKA FOREST DEPARTMENT)