BENGALURU: To address the rising cases of man-animal conflict, secure forest areas, and ensure the safety and welfare of tribals, the Karnataka forest department will come up with a separate policy on tribal relocation and rehabilitation. Forest officials held a meeting with their counterparts in the finance department a couple of days ago, to discuss and initiate the survey of forest land, status of encroachments and areas under human habitation.
Forests, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre told The New Indian Express the survey was to start much earlier, but was delayed because of a staff crunch. Asked about the government’s stand on tribal rehabilitation, when it is keen to hand over forest land, including deemed forests, to the revenue department, Khandre said the state government wanted to address the issue of man-animal conflict, and tribal relocation was one of the steps in this direction. He asserted they will be moved out, and work in this direction has started.
A senior forest official explained that a policy report was being prepared to set priorities and define criteria. It will define the lands to be acquired, what the government needs and what the people are keen to surrender. Priority in tribal land acquisition and relocation will be on wildlife areas, and then move to reserve forests and fringes.
Experts and conservationists say the government should immediately take up the exercise, citing rising incidents of human and wildlife death. They point out that while it’s happening at a slow pace in Kali Tiger Reserve, it has come to a halt in Nagarahole, and forests like MM Hills and Kudremukh, and instead, the government is keen on opening up forests for development works.