Karnataka Environment and Forests Minister Eshwar Khandre.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bengaluru: Forest staffers, especially guards and watchers have expressed concern over the increasing attacks on teams trying to remove encroachers from forest lands and have urged the government to intervene in the matter.
More than 1.79 lakh acres of forest area in Karnataka is under encroachment. As per the Supreme Court order, forest encroachment should be reclaimed by a committee led by the deputy commissioner and comprising the deputy conservator of forest.
However, forest officials have long complained about the lack of cooperation from the revenue and police departments.
In a letter to Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Kalyana Karnataka Area Forest Department Workers Association cited the October 8 attack on forest, revenue and police officers in Khanagaon village of Belagavi. About 30 personnel from three departments had gone to survey the forest lands under encroachment. Video clips showed stones being thrown at the officials, leading to damage of vehicles while some personnel sustained minor injuries.
“The incident came weeks after the deputy conservator of forest in Kolar (Yedukondalu) had to be given police security in view of the threats. In Mangaluru, forest personnel doing their job were abused by the people’s representative. The forest minister has been supporting us. We also need support from the revenue and police departments. So we have written to the chief minister,” A B Patil, president of the association, told DH.
The association demanded that the committee chaired by the deputy commissioner should take the lead in recovering encroached forests.