BENGALURU: Illegal electrification work at Kamargaon, sans any central or state permission, in the Anshi Wildlife Range of Kali Tiger Reserve, has drawn the ire of wildlife activists, as it was done surreptitiously. Meanwhile, the state forest department has asked the chief conservator of forests (CCF) to look into the issue and submit a report.
To provide any facility, be it water, power, road, school or hospital, permission has to be taken from competent authorities. However, work was taken up illegally to provide power to this hamlet by ESCOM, Karwar, during 2017-18. Two hundred electric poles were erected on a five-km stretch inside forest area and cables were drawn from Kuddegali to Kamargaon. According to senior officials, range forest officials failed to bring this matter up.
Wildlife activists said that since KTR was declared a tiger reserve, it has been in the thick of controversies, with diversion of forest land for power, roads, highways, rail line doubling, resorts, canopy walk and many other projects that threaten the eco-system. They added, “Action should be taken against the then-director, ACF, RFO and other staff for dereliction of responsibilities. Electricity is needed, but work cannot be taken up without permission.”
As per norms, erection of electric poles and drawing of cables inside a tiger reserve violates Section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Diversion of forest land for non-forestry purpose is illegal. Also, entry into a national park violates Sec 27 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Further, the destruction of wildlife habitat without the approval violates the provisions of this Act.