Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said forest should be stern when it comes to encroachment and should adopt a stern attitude when it comes to preventing encroachments.
He was speaking after distributing medals to 49 forest personnel for their work in protection of forest lands. "The man-animal conflict can be checked only when wildlife get food and water inside forest areas. Protecting forests requires a stern attitude as shown by Indira Gandhi in bringing the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Similarly, forest officers need to be stern to prevent encroachments," he said.
Stating that protecting forests was the duty of every citizen, the chief minister said the responsibility of those who have won the medals has increased. "Area under the forest needs to increase. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre can do revolutionary work if all the officials cooperate," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking on the occasion, Khandre said encroachment of the forests for quarrying and commercial purposes has led to destruction of natural habitats. "People complain that leopards are straying into human habitats. They say peacocks are destroying crops. Habitats of some of the animals is not thick forest but what seems like barren hillocks," he said, adding that disturbance in such areas was fuelling conflict.
The minister also spoke about the challenges faced by the department due to the man-elephant conflict. He said Karnataka has built a railway barricade of 333 km and work is on to build it along another 101 km stretch.
"Every year about 50 persons are killed in the conflict. Railway barricade has a proven effective barrier protecting the lives and crops. The department requires Rs 500 crore in the next two years to build a 324 km barricade," he said.
The department issued appointment letters to 267 forest watchers. The minister said that work was on to fill 540 posts of forest guards.
Forest personnel honored
Sundaresh S J, a forest guard who lost his life while fighting wildfires in the shola forests of Sakleshpur, was among the 49 persons who received chief minister's medal.
Some of the other awardees include Manjunath S, a Range Forest Officer (RFO) working to prevent encroachment in Hassan, Nagaraj Gouda G, RFO Ballari; Pavitra U J and Varun Kumar S V, RFOs from Bengaluru Rural division; Anil Kumar C N, RFO from Kolar; Krishna Pujari, RFO, Gokak division; Savita R Devadiga and Mamata Ganapaiah Patagara, RFOs from Honnavar Division; , Bharatesh B Valmiki and Pramod B, RFOs, Karwar division; Vishwanath T Naika RFO, Sirsi division; Prasad K, RFO, Malaiamahadeshwara Wildlife Division, Kollegal; Veerendra Maribasannavar, RFO, Gadag; Mallappa Bagali, Forest Guard, Dharwad training centre; Vishwanath, RFO, Kalaburagi; Hanamantraya Biradar, Forest Guard, Social Forest, Yadgire; Umesh H B, RFO, Virajpet division; Faizur Rahman, RFO, Kudremukh Wildlife Division; Prashant, RFO, Mangaluru division; Manjunath MM, Forest Guard, Mysuru division; Santosh Basettiyavar, Forest Guard, Sagar division; Sandeep KR, RFO, Shivamoga; Revanasiddaiah B Hiremath, RFO, Research Division.