The forest officials here are blatantly violating the rules and there is nobody to question them.
The environmentalist of the region who are shocked by the way Forest Department is functioning have several questions to ask. They say that according to the Apex Court verdict (4/2/2000), nobody can move even dead trees and trees which have fallen, from regions declared as reserve forest and national park. Surprisingly, at Prakriti Shibira and behind Salim Ali auditorium, there are huge piles of firewood brought mainly from Bhadra Reserve Forest, used for cooking and boiling water. At Salim Ali auditorium the firewood is used to light the campfire to ward off cold.
Though the matter has been brought to the notice of top notch forest officials of the district, no action has been taken so far. The firewood continue to come from Bhadra Reserve Forest and the freshly stocked heaps of firewood at both the places is the proof.
When questioned, Forest Conservator Shantharaj says that he will see to it that the firewood is stocked in such a place that it is not open to people.
ZP Member and Tiger Board Member Radha Sundaresh who should have taken the matter seriously too has failed to understand the seriousness of the issue. When contacted, she said that she has questioned higher level forest officials to answer her and meanwhile she has been promised that usage of fire wood from reserve forest will be stopped at the earliest.
Need
Dead and fallen trees too are of great importance in Reserve forest area, which are meant to conserve wild life. The wild animals make the fallen and dead trees their homes. There are proofs as how tigers leave behind their young ones in these trees while going out for hunting.
Wild Life First Bangalore Managing Trustee Praveen Bhargav says that officials have clearly violated the Supreme Court verdict by giving scope for taking out fire wood from Bhadra Reserve Forest.
Blunder
First of all, construction of Prakriti Shibira at core zone of Bhadra Reserve Forest area itself is a blunder. It is said that though Shibira was started to education common people about wild life and nature, forest department has now shifted its priority from nature to tourism, a profit making venture.