BENGALURU : Shivamogga district of Karnataka has seen the largest extent of denotified forest land, with 2,228.59 hectares being converted in the last two years under Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. From 2015 to 2017, of 3,095.17 hectares of forest land denotified in the state, more than 70% is in Shivamogga district. The highest percentage of forest land conversion (for relocating Sharavathi project displaced people) and regularisation of cultivated forest land has taken place in the taluks of Shivamogga (19), Sagar (16) and Hosanagara (13). Shikaripura, Tirthahalli, Nagara and Sorab taluks too have recorded many cases. But, the maximum extent of 1,004 hectares has been denotified in Shivamogga alone.
As per the denotified list on the forest department website, hundreds of survey numbers fall in the reserve forests of Kardibetta, Masaruru, Mallanduru, Kyasanuru, Mysavi, Bellanduru, Kudi, Handravathi, Suduru, Annagere and Gillalagundi, the estate forests of Puradallu, Kumadavathi and Shankar, the Anupinakatte Minor Forest, and the state forests of Anesara, Avinahalli, Ulluru and Oruve. The Kardibetta Reserve Forest has seen the highest extent with 558.38 hectares denotified in Shikaripura, Sagar and Shivamogga taluks. In fact, Sagar has seen denotification of 350 hectares of forest.
“We are losing precious forest land because elected representatives are in the forefront to regularise encroached forest patches in many taluks. All this has been done either under Bagair Hukum, Akrama-Sakrama, Forest Rights Act or to rehabilitate displaced people due to Sharavathi submergence,” said an activist from the district.“Due to the pressure from legislators, the government itself has started destroying forests,” said G Veeresh, an activist.
Forest Minister Ramanath Rai said, “I am against denotification of forest land. Forest lands have not be denotified under Bagair Hukum in the state. But, under Karnataka Forest Act 1963, it has happened in cases of public cause. There were cases where people had to be rehabilitated due to Sharavathi submergence in Shivamogga district. They were provided land which are now a part of wildlife divisions.”