MYSURU: The long-pending proposal to upgrade the Male Mahadeshwara (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary into a tiger reserve is entering a crucial phase with the Forest Department calling for a public consultation meeting on October 31.
According to a notification issued by the DCF of the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, the public meeting will be held in the presence of Saluru Mutt seer. The meeting will seek views of villagers before forwarding a report to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Bengaluru, on declaring Tiger Reserve status to the MM Hills Sanctuary.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which investigated the death of five tigers at the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary recently had called for declaring the sanctuary as a tiger reserve, to provide an additional layer of protection and scale up conservation efforts in the region.
The MM Hills sanctuary, spread across 906.18 sq km, forms a vital link in the Eastern and Western Ghats tiger landscape, connecting Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in TamilNadu, and BRT Tiger Reserve.
The proposal was conceived in 2019-20, seeking to designate the MM Hills as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, which would enhance protection measures, funding, and ecological management.
However, the move has stirred anxiety among local tribal and farming communities. Villagers residing in core areas fear that a tiger reserve tag could lead to restrictions on forest access, grazing, and traditional livelihood activities.
