The government will reconsider its decision to withdraw the notification declaring 17,872 ha of the reserved forest areas of Kappatagudda Hills in Gadag district as ‘conservation reserve.’
A committee headed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself will soon review the decision and take appropriate action soon after the end of the winter session of the legislature.
This assurance was given to a delegation of more seers of more than 15 religious institutions from North Karnataka region led by Siddhalinga Swami of Tontadarya Mutt, Guru Siddharajayogendra Swami of Moorasavira Mutt and Jayamrutyunjaja Swami of Kudalasangama, who made a common appeal to protect the conservation reserve tag for the forest area, now threatened by the government’s notification issued on Nov.4.
It may be recalled here that the Karnataka State Board of Wildlife had cleared the proposal to declare 17,872 ha conservation reserve out of the total 32,346.524 ha of the Kappatagudda forests area. A notification was issued under Section 36A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 on December 19 last year following strong pressure from the various environmental organisations and activists and religious institutions of Gadag and adjoining districts of the N-K region.
Tontadarya Swami reminded the Chief Minister about a reference made in the notification that the reserved forest areas had rich natural forest cover, similar to that of the Western Ghats, and was popularly known as Western Ghats of Northern Karnataka. These forests are home to many medicinal plants and wildlife and is spread over Gadag (401 ha), Mundargi (15,453.6 ha), Shirahatti (2,016.7 ha) taluks of Gadag district. There were reports of deposits of different minerals, such as gold, manganese, copper, etc. There was 63% iron content in the iron ore available in these forests and around 4 gram of gold from out of one tone of ore. That ,apart there were more than 30 water tanks, water-streams and other water bodies.
He said the government was serving the ‘hidden agenda’ of leasing out these forest areas to mining companies and therefore ducked to the pressure. The government should not go against the people’s demand to protect the Kappatagudda forests to serve the exploitative mining companies. Already, several mining companies had caused huge destruction of forests areas and exploited mineral wealth and cause environmental pollution. This should not happen again, other seers said.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H.K. Patil, who is also district in-charge of Gadag, explained the struggle of seers to protect the Kappatagudda forests for the past several years.
