'Revenue, forest dept failing to protect Karnataka forest land'

About 4 lakh trees on 600 acres of “Kanu’’ forest are facing the axe as the Forest and Revenue departments have failed to make their case in the high court by not producing crucial documents, activists in Western Ghats said.

In a letter to the Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre, the Vrukshalaksha Andolana said the land was recorded as Kanu forest about 60 years ago but many people have been eyeing its trees for years.

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The letter said the land in Totadakappa village of Hosanagar taluk in Shivamogga district was transferred from the Revenue Department to the Forest Department more than 10 years ago. However, officials didn’t produce the document in the court where private parties had claimed ownership of the land.

Anant Hegde Ashisar, former chairman of Karnataka Biodiversity Board, said there were at least 10 similar cases in Shivamogga in which 5,000 acres of forest land was at stake.

“Four months ago, 1,000 acres in Teerthalli taluk went to private parties. The government also lost 630 acres of forest in Kattekoppa of Agumbe range. We have drawn the attention of the government towards these cases in March,” he said.

The letter said lack of coordination between the forest and revenue departments has led to private parties winning cases over the land in the courts. “We urge senior officials of the departments to visit Shivamogga and assess the situation,” it added.