BENGALURU: Forest lands valued at over Rs 20 lakh crore have been encroached in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Hassan, and a few other districts in the state. In Bengaluru alone, over 2,000 acres have been encroached.
The value of these lands runs into thousands of crores considering that the basic minimum price per acre is at least Rs 1 crore in the state capital. When contacted, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre refused to comment. Asked if the extent of encroachment mentioned was right, he replied, “Yes.”
Former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde said, “People in power try to encroach forest land either directly or through benamis. When forest officials try to retrieve the land and clear the encroachments, they resist and use power at their disposal to ward off these officers.’’
Sources said, “Encroachers, who are politically powerful, have not spared forest land even in states like Uttarakhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, which have sizeable forest cover.” Conservationist Akilesh Chilpi and former Wildlife Board member Joseph Hoover said, “Some of our leaders are using small landholders as shields to protect their own interests. As lawmakers, they should be custodians of law and set an example.’’
Dr Robert John, professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata, said, “Forest land encroachment is a complex problem in India. It often results from unsettled rights, contested boundaries, and environmental changes that can displace people.”