KAPPATAGUDDA(GADAG): The State government recently decided not to permit mining in Kappatagudda, a hilly area spread across Gadag, Mundargi and Shirahatti taluks with a unique landscape, like Sandur. The region needs separate planning to ensure conservation and sustainable living.
Formed billions of years ago, Kapppatgudda has been exploited for centuries for its rich iron ore and gold reserves. It is divided among two sections of people -- those who practice sustainable living and those who want to exploit it for its rich mineral wealth of iron ore and gold. On October 7, the state declined to lease out the forest area of Kappatagudda.
“It is the victory of the people of this region. Decades ago, we had said we don’t want mining here. It is such a relief that the government decided in our favour,” said Shivakumara Swamiji, pontiff of Nandiveri Mutt, Kappatagudda.
“This is a result of several decades of mass movement, which woke up the common man. It is a victory of sustainability against forces which would have destroyed the very livelihood of the people, a struggle for protection of the environment and sensitive ecology, and the landscape was perhaps formed billions of years ago.
If allowed, mining would have been destructive,” said Manjunath Naik, a botanist in Gadag, researching rare medicinal and aromatic plants. The landscape here is unique, a piece hewn off the Western Ghats. Plant species of the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats co-exist here, he said.
Yeshapal Ksherasagar, field director, Bhadra Tiger Reserve, and former DCF, Gadag, who compiled a list of the medicinal plants here said, “Kappatagudda is indeed a piece of the Western Ghats, and its environment of the ghats makes it unique.”
Pre-history and History
Even more important is its historicity. Professor Ravi Korisettar, senior archaeologist and geologist, said Kappatagudda was formed billions of years ago and has prehistoric and historical significance. “This patch is similar to the Sandur schist belt, also known as green stone, and is rich in minerals and precious metal. The historical town of Lakkundi was found during the Kalyana-Chalukya period, and more are waiting to be discovered,” he said.
It is known for rare herbs used by ayurvedic and many traditional medicine practitioners. The Karnataka forest department has already documented and photographed most of these herbs. “We had a checklist of over 500 herbs, of which we managed to document about 375. We could only photograph these 375,” said FD Yashpal.
Rare and endangered
“It is a storehouse of extremely rare flora and fauna. The Indian frankenstein tree, or Indian Dhammar, known as ‘dhoopa’ in Kannada, is found here. It is a distinct plant, a dry area plant which is different from the one in Western Ghats. It is an IUCN red-listed species,” said botanist Manjunath.
According to Manchegowda HP, public health researcher, the area is full of medicinal practitioners due to the abundance of medicinal plants available here. “There are about 34 villages -- Kadakol, Hosalli, Doni, Doni Tanda, Dambal, Nagavi, Kadampur, Churchihal, Kalakeri, Koralhalli, Chikkavaddatti, HireVaddatti, Attikatti, Murudi Tanda, Papnashi, Tegginabhavanur, Nabhapur, Harogeri, Tamragundi, Baradur and others. “My study shows that these villages have at least 10- 15 vaidyas who treat people for various diseases. I have so far met about 154 of them,” he informed TNIE.
Lingraj Niduvani, grandson of well-known Gadag-based traditional medicinal practitioner Basavaraj Konchigeri, says he has documented over 300 such traditional vaidyas. Lingraj, who has done his PhD on traditional medicinal systems in Karnataka, from Hampi University, and is faculty in Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Gadag, says local doctors say many of them have specialized in curing specific diseases and use the medicinal plants. “I was trying to bring them together, unite them, but they did not want to come out. They are doing a service to society. They are dependent on Kappatagudda. This makes it even more important for conservation. The hills have been exploited for centuries. We hope it will remain intact at least from now onwards for the people of this region,” he said.
Field Director Yashpal said medicinal plant diversity is important as these plants grow in mineral-rich areas. “These herbs are medicinally important, considering they have certain active ingredients -- Rawalpina serpentina used for snake-bite grows in places other than Kappatagudda, but the one grown in Kappatagudda has active ingredients, because this place is rich
in minerals. Ancient Indian scriptures mention Jesta, which has zinc. Swarna Bhasma (gold powder) in milli or micro quantities is good for human health. Preserving them will save them for future study, research and human use,” he said.
People’s movement
Kappatagudda’s tale is of conservation versus mining -- a people’s movement where saffron-clad saints led the common man to save the forests and ecology, between 2009 and 2024, which brought the government to its knees. The movement began at various places at the individual level, and snowballed into a mass movement as there have been constant threats to mine both iron ore and gold here.
The region has a long history of mining, dating back to the British era, when gold was mined in 1900. However, mining for gold and iron ore goes back thousands of years to the Neolithic period, and later on in the 10th century AD, during the age of the Kalyani Chalukyas.
However, post 2000, people started opposing mining, when several mining firms started eying the place for iron ore and gold. In 2015, the government accorded the ‘Conservation Reserve’ tag to 17,872 hectares of forest in Mundargi and Shirahatti taluks in Gadag in 2015.
But the government did a volte-face on November 4, 2016, by withdrawing the reserve tag and this led to a mass protest in 2017. Individuals like Lingraj Naduvani started protesting against mining activities. Having learnt about the effects of mining in 2004, when he was a student, he returned and started several movements like Chipko, letter writing and even fasting to save the mountains of Kappatagudda along with his friends Ravikanth Angadi, an advocate and activist, and others. He was supported by the pontiff of Thontadarya mutt Jagadguru Siddalinga Swamiji.
Shivakumara Swamy, pontiff of Nandiveri Mutt in Mundargi taluk, is another crusader who lived amid the Kappatagudda forests, far from human habitation, and joined the chorus against mining. Before joining the agitation, he had been protesting in Kappatagudda, where mining was going on illegally.
(With inputs from Raghottam Koppar @ Gadag)