BENGALURU: The forest department has prepared a list of land parcels from which government agencies, industries, corporates and individuals can choose when seeking green space for non-forestry purposes. After a three-month survey, the forest department has identified 2456.266 acres of land around forest areas and 2208.34 acres of land around elephant corridors in Karnataka which can be used.
“We get multiple applications from various government departments, private organisations and individuals seeking forest land for non-forestry works like laying cables, roads, installing wind turbines, solar panels, laying pipelines, rail projects and so on. Land in lieu is offered in far off locations where afforestation works cannot sustain and does not help in maintaining, let alone sustaining, the green cover of Karnataka. So we have prepared a list of land parcels and have decided that henceforth those seeking forest land for non-forestry purposes will have to buy and hand over land from the prepared list only,” a senior forest department official, not wanting to be named, said.
As per various forest and wildlife protection acts and rules, anyone seeking forest land for non-forestry purposes should hand over land in-lieu as compensation along with financial compensation. Also for every tree cut, 10 trees should be planted and financial compensation should also be given.
The official said the maximum number of applications they get are for infrastructure and energy sector works in the Western Ghats. And the land offered is in places like Raichur, Bidar or Davangere or in arid rural areas. The land offered as compensation is not in the surrounding areas or in the same terrain, where the proposed project is undertaken.
“With increasing cases of man-animal conflict, urbanisation and shrinking habitats, protecting forest patches is becoming a daunting task. So while we are undertaking the Western Ghats carrying capacity study, we are also discussing on sealing some Western Ghats areas as no-development or no-permission areas. Instead the identified areas around forest patches be utilised for non-forestry works.
Further, a survey with the revenue department on encroachments and urbanised areas inside and on forest fringes is being done, we will prepare a list of revenue land parcels which are further from forest buffer zones for the proposed non-foresty works in future,” the official added.