Date:19/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/19/stories/2008071957590300.htm

Karnataka

Unauthorised structures on forest land sealed in Chamarajanagar

V. Paneesha

Forest Department finds 65 acres of land encroached upon in wildlife sanctuary

Bungalows and workers’ quarters built by
coffee estate owners
Recovered land worth over Rs. 15 crore: DCF

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Unauthorised structures built on nearly 65 acres of forest land in the Biligiri Ranga Temple Sanctuary limits in Chamarajanagar district have been sealed by officials of the Department of Forests.

The land was encroached upon allegedly by business houses owning coffee estates, according to sources in the department.

The squad of forest officials was led by Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Chamarajanagar division, R. Raju.

The encroachments came to light when officials of the department were conducting a survey to fix the boundary of the sanctuary in the Nilgiri biosphere.

The estate owners had built bungalows and quarters for workers on the encroached forest land, the sources said.

Under Section 34 (A) (ab) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Deputy Conservator of Forests can issue orders to remove encroachments on forest land in a wildlife sanctuary.

Notices

Accordingly, the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests issued notices to the owners of the coffee estates asking them to explain their stand with regard to the encroachments.

The owners were asked to appear before the Deputy Conservator of Forests for an inquiry with land documents, if they had any. The owners failed to provide the documents during the first sitting, and also did not appear for the subsequent sittings, the sources said.

Invoking the provisions of the Act, Mr. Raju recently issued orders to seal the unauthorised structures.

Mr. Raju told The Hindu on Friday that the squad sealed the bungalows, workers’ quarters and other buildings on Thursday.

The owners had been asked to remove all movable property within a week, the official said.

He said that a report in this regard had been submitted to senior officials of the department.

Cases

Mr. Raju said that the department was planning to seek compensation from the estate owners for the damage caused to the forest. He said that waste water released from coffee curing units had done extensive damage to the forest ecology. Cases would be filed against the owners in this regard.

He said that the recovered land was worth over Rs. 15 crore, but its ecological worth was invaluable.