This article was co-authored with N D Shivakumar
In the early 1990s, Kodagu saw a large-scale illegal felling of trees by various gangs in connivance with the forest officials resulting in the loss of several hundred crores. Now the same story is being repeated in Belgaum, albeit with a different cast. The forest cover at Belgaum is now reduced to mostly the moist deciduous and evergreen forests in south-western portion where the district touches the crestline of the Western Ghats and the dry forests to the east of Belgaum city.
The forests, especially, in Khanapur taluk as well as areas bordering Goa and Maharashtra are said to be among the richest bio-diversity areas in the country. The region is rich in flora including rare medicinal plants and harbours endangered fauna like tiger, giant squirrel, flying squirrel, hornbills and king cobra.
It is also the habitat for the critically endangered bats that roost in the caves of the region. The Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat (Otomops wroughtoni) is found only in the Barapede caves (between Krishnapur and Talevadi) in the entire world. While the Krishnapur caves, which is close by, is one among the three places in India where the Theobalds Tomb Bat (Taphozous theobaldi) is found, the Talevadi caves are home to the rare Megaderma spasma bats, found only in four other places in the world.
In the last eight years, the district is slowly being stripped of its forest cover. There has been large-scale felling of trees on private malki lands and adjoining forests areas around Khanapur taluk. Warnings about deforestation and illegal mining in the Mahadayi valley in Belgaum Forest Division came from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) working in the area.
People for environment
The Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya, the National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources, Belgaum Nature Lovers Club and Paryavarni has been raising the issue with the forest department since 1997 but to no avail. In many cases, the forest department officials played mute spectators to illegal activities, in violation of the Supreme Court’s 1996 interim order which prohibited the felling of trees in any forest land - private or state owned and prohibited the diversion of forest land to non forestry purposes.
The environmentalists have been demanding the creation of a wildlife sanctuary as a way out to prevent deforestation for long. Bowing to pressure, the Forest Department at that time made a proposal to demark 550 sq km of forest for the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in 2000. Inexplicably the proposal has been gathering dust since then.
In the early part of 2004, illegal tree felling and mining, and burning of forests were discovered in 12 areas in the Belgaum Forest Division. The forest department woke up only when a local conservation NGO Paryavarni carried out a probe and submitted a report about the illegal activity to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Later, in a bid to cover up their lack of vigil, the officials filed FIRs in 5 of the 12 cases. An inspection done by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF, Western Ghats Forestry and Environmental Project) in response to the petition revealed the charges to be true in all 10 cases, including the two mining cases. (See Box : It’s a shame)
Following the CCF report, the PCCF issued showcause notices to five forest officials and has transferred the Belgaum DCF. A senior forest official of the rank of additional PCCF is carrying out another probe into the matter. On several occasions, the Central Empowered Committee of the SC has warned the State that tardy compliance could invite contempt proceedings.
Medicinal plants
The disturbing factor is that, even as we await the last word on who is to blame, our rich, life-giving forests are being stripped systematically. A new kind of business is thriving in Belgaum’s forests, the smuggling of medicinal plants. The issue dawned on the forest department when officials on September 17, 2004, found 234 bags (of 100 kg each) filled with non-timber produce (a climber of the species Salacia chinensis which is called Eknaikan Beru in Kannada) stored in Londa Forest Range. The climber is used for its medicinal properties to treat diabetes and liver disorders, sells in the local market at Rs 300 per kg. Based on a tip-off by Paryavarni, an environmental NGO based in Belgaum, about the illegal extraction of the medicinal plants, the Chief Conservator of Forests B K Singh sent a team along with the members of the NGO for inspection.
The team found 152 gunny bags stored near Degoan village, 200 mtrs from the main road, hidden in the bushes. Near Gavali village, they found over 20 gunny bags of medicinal plants and at Mendil village, more than 40 bags were found.
The forests, especially, in Khanapur taluk as well as areas bordering Goa and Maharashtra are said to be among the richest bio-diversity areas in the country. The region is rich in flora including rare medicinal plants and harbours endangered fauna like tiger, giant squirrel, flying squirrel, hornbills and king cobra.
It is also the habitat for the critically endangered bats that roost in the caves of the region. The Wroughton’s Free-tailed Bat (Otomops wroughtoni) is found only in the Barapede caves (between Krishnapur and Talevadi) in the entire world. While the Krishnapur caves, which is close by, is one among the three places in India where the Theobalds Tomb Bat (Taphozous theobaldi) is found, the Talevadi caves are home to the rare Megaderma spasma bats, found only in four other places in the world.
In the last eight years, the district is slowly being stripped of its forest cover. There has been large-scale felling of trees on private malki lands and adjoining forests areas around Khanapur taluk. Warnings about deforestation and illegal mining in the Mahadayi valley in Belgaum Forest Division came from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) working in the area.
People for environment
The Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya, the National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources, Belgaum Nature Lovers Club and Paryavarni has been raising the issue with the forest department since 1997 but to no avail. In many cases, the forest department officials played mute spectators to illegal activities, in violation of the Supreme Court’s 1996 interim order which prohibited the felling of trees in any forest land - private or state owned and prohibited the diversion of forest land to non forestry purposes.
The environmentalists have been demanding the creation of a wildlife sanctuary as a way out to prevent deforestation for long. Bowing to pressure, the Forest Department at that time made a proposal to demark 550 sq km of forest for the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in 2000. Inexplicably the proposal has been gathering dust since then.
In the early part of 2004, illegal tree felling and mining, and burning of forests were discovered in 12 areas in the Belgaum Forest Division. The forest department woke up only when a local conservation NGO Paryavarni carried out a probe and submitted a report about the illegal activity to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Later, in a bid to cover up their lack of vigil, the officials filed FIRs in 5 of the 12 cases. An inspection done by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF, Western Ghats Forestry and Environmental Project) in response to the petition revealed the charges to be true in all 10 cases, including the two mining cases. (See Box : It’s a shame)
Following the CCF report, the PCCF issued showcause notices to five forest officials and has transferred the Belgaum DCF. A senior forest official of the rank of additional PCCF is carrying out another probe into the matter. On several occasions, the Central Empowered Committee of the SC has warned the State that tardy compliance could invite contempt proceedings.
Medicinal plants
The disturbing factor is that, even as we await the last word on who is to blame, our rich, life-giving forests are being stripped systematically. A new kind of business is thriving in Belgaum’s forests, the smuggling of medicinal plants. The issue dawned on the forest department when officials on September 17, 2004, found 234 bags (of 100 kg each) filled with non-timber produce (a climber of the species Salacia chinensis which is called Eknaikan Beru in Kannada) stored in Londa Forest Range. The climber is used for its medicinal properties to treat diabetes and liver disorders, sells in the local market at Rs 300 per kg. Based on a tip-off by Paryavarni, an environmental NGO based in Belgaum, about the illegal extraction of the medicinal plants, the Chief Conservator of Forests B K Singh sent a team along with the members of the NGO for inspection.
The team found 152 gunny bags stored near Degoan village, 200 mtrs from the main road, hidden in the bushes. Near Gavali village, they found over 20 gunny bags of medicinal plants and at Mendil village, more than 40 bags were found.
The climbers are an integral part of the forest ecosystem and take many years to grow. They play a significant role in providing food and shelter for numerous species of mammals, birds and insects. Besides, the extraction disturbs the forests due to movement of people and trucks, posing a threat to the endangered species in the area.
Planned devastation
Organised gangs assign the job of extraction to the poor villagers, who see this as an employment option. They are paid Rs 3 per kg, while the gangs sell it at Rs 300 per kg. The illegal operators are also suspected to be supplying the extracted medicinal plants to companies or manufacturers of such medicines.
“The fact that 234 bags of 100 kg each) were found from 11 am to 6 pm in one day bears witness to the extent of damage done to the forest. It is possible that more material was stripped from the forest but was not detected. Even a rough calculation will indicate that about 40-50 tonnes of material is being removed from the forest. The market value of which will amount to Rs 1.2 to 1.5 crore,” the members of the Paryavarni tell us.
Pointing an accusing finger at the forest department officials, they add: “Such large-scale operations (especially around the villages and along the main roads) cannot go undetected without the active involvement of the forest staff. There are lots of evidence of illegal activities (truck tracks and debris of medicinal plants) in many areas.”
The issue has been brought to the notice of the State chief secretary; principal secretary (Environment Ecology and Forest); principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife); chief conservator of forests, regional office, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bangalore; and Secretary, MoEF, New Delhi.
SHOWCAUSE NOTICES
In December 2004, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) issued showcause notices to five forest officers; Londa Range Forest Officer S Balakrishna, Kankumbi Range Forest Officer, Khanapur Range Forest Officer B N Chowhan, Assistant Conservator of Forests Khanapur subdivision K V Nayak and Khanapur Division Deputy Conservator of Forests Ashok Baskarkod. In the notices to these officials, the PCCF has said that large-scale illegal felling, removal of valuable trees and encroachment of forest land had taken place as the forest had been set on fire. “The irregularities in the forest area prima-facie prove that you have failed to discharge your legitimate duties,” he said. The PCCF also sought an explanation from the Conservator of Forests (CF) Belgaum Division B Nadagowdar on the issue. The PCCF said that if the CF had made frequent visits to the forests under his control and if he had disciplined the officers and staff such irregularities in the forest land could have been avoided. The PCCF has asked the CF why the government should not initiate action against him for the lapses on his part.IT’S A SHAME...
The report of the Chief Conservator of Forest says that some of the earlier cases booked by the department were eye-wash and that most of the recent cases booked have been just a cover up. The report points out that the illegal burning has not been restricted to the Malki lands as claimed by the local forest officials but has extended to the reserve forest. In one case, the report of the Deputy Conservator of Forest indicates that local forest officials had booked a case for burning 3 acres while the Chief Conservator of Forest in reality found 125 to 250 acres of evergreen forest having been burnt. The report states that such burning cannot happen overnight and the department is responsible for turning a blind eye to such activities. Referring to the permission granted for felling trees in steep sloppy regions in the catchment area of Mahadayi river, the Chief Conservator of Forests states: “I cannot find any justification for the grant of permission for felling of trees in such areas. It is a shame on the part of forest officers, who are originally responsible for destroying the areas.”
This article appeared in Deccan Herald on 11th January 2005
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