BENGALURU: Three years after the civil court passed an order for reclamation on five acres of forest land at BM Kaval in Kaggalipura in Bengaluru South, the forest department led by Deputy Conservator of Forest, Bengaluru Urban on Thursday reclaimed the land.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Bengaluru Urban Ravindra Kumar said," Along with forest department and jurisdictional police, the land in Survey Number 92, BM Kaval, Kaggalipura was reclaimed from Venkatappa who had encroached the forest land. The department took action based on the court order passed in its favour three in 2021."
According to officials, the land would be used for plantation drive as part of World Environment Day on June 5.
Lauding the efforts of the forest department, Manjunath J Honorary Secretary Wilderness club NGO said, the environment activists have been agitating from the last five years after having learnt that forest land here in South Bengaluru and its surroundings have encroached.
"Goondas, real estate mafia and others are behind the forest land encroachment and we are happy that honest officer like Ravindra Kumar and forest minister Eshwar Khandre are doing the right job. Had we got a cooperation from officials in the past, we would have reclaimed the forest land long back and by now the tree saplings would have fully grown," said Manjunath.