BENGALURU: After Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka was honoured with a cabinet rank by the state government, the demand to declare the road where she planted the trees as a conservation reserve has been growing. With conservationists demanding the stretch where she planted the trees be declared as a biodiversity hotspot, environment and forest department officials are trying to take it a step ahead and declare it as a community conservation reserve.
Thimmakka, who turned 111 years on June 30, had planted over 380 trees on the highway stretch connecting Hulikal and Kudur, along with 8,000 trees of other species when she was younger, and had called them her children. The stretch is endangered by tree felling to widen roads.
Earlier, the Karnataka State biodiversity board was working on a proposal to declare the stretch of around 40 km a biodiversity hotspot, but was shelved when board members changed. “The stretch is long, and seeing a lot of traffic. It needs to be protected but the support of locals and government are also important,” said an official from the biodiversity board.
An environment department officials explained that once the proposal to declare it as a community conservation reserve is made by the forest department, opinions of locals in the community will be taken. After approval, it will be sent to the state board for wildlife for its nod. The trees are planted along either side of the road which need protection.
“Once declared a community conservation reserve, protection of the area will be backed up by law. We are hoping the government will not deny the proposal as it will honour the green ambassador. Similar exercises have been done for Bankapur peacock reserve also,” said an environment department official.
To ensure that the site is protected, the forest department has also undertaken a survey to record the biodiversity, flora and fauna in the region.