Bengaluru: Amid a series of landslides in Western Ghats and the devastation in Wayanad, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar B Khandre on Sunday issued directions to his department to launch an immediate crackdown on encroachments in all the ghat districts of Karnataka, including illegal commercial establishments.
In a statement, the minister said a special task force headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF, Head of Forest Force) will begin the work within a day. "Starting tomorrow (Monday), the task force will begin evicting encroachments in all the ghat districts," he said, adding that action will also be initiated against unscientific road constructions.
Referring to the 2015 government order for removing all forest encroachments above 3 acres, Khandre said direction has been issued to remove any unauthorised occupation of forest land after 2015. All the encroachments for which eviction notice has been issued under Section 64A of the Karnataka Forest Act will be removed.
The minister said that even senior officials, from Assistant Conservator of Forests to Additional PCCFs, can enquire into encroachments and issue orders under Section 64A to expedite the disposal of pending cases. "I have instructed that such officials take up the 64A cases at least for two days in their respective ranges," he added.
For the cases pending before the courts, the officials of the special task force have been told to approach the advocate general on steps to be taken for speedy disposal.
Commercial encroachments
Officials have been told to prioritise removal of big encroachments and those setting up commercial establishments like resorts and home stays in the forest land, after which plantations and agricultural encroachments will be removed. "We won't allow commercial activities in the encroached areas of Western Ghats. Nothing can compensate the loss of ecology caused by such activities," the Khandre said.
Unscientific roads
The minister said action will also be initiated against officials responsible for unscientific roads built in forests. He said many contractors have built roads by making 90 degree cuts in the hills, leading to landslides. Besides contractors, notice will be issued to the engineers.
"We have seen the disasters in Wayanad and Shirur where hills that stood for thousands of years have disappeared. We are seeing landslides in Shiradi Ghat, Charmadi Ghat and other hill regions. If we don't wake up now, the next generations will not forgive us," the minister said.