A slow rehabilitation process is being blamed for the continuation of “encroachments” by forest dwellers within the Nagarhole National Park.
Illegal construction of sheds and temporary structures by 70 families over 20 acres at Thatekere of the Kalhalla range on the fringes of the protected area was the latest instance of recorded encroachment, said forest officials. A similar expansion of a tribal hamlet is being observed in Gaddehadi. Praveen Bhargav, wildlife activist, said the village residents expand their territory in the hope that it will be regularised some day under the Forest Rights Act. “People are willing to come out. It is bureaucracy that is preventing them,” said Mr. Bhargav. While the Forest Department have cleared out the encroachments of Thatekere, they have brought the village residents on to the negotiating table. Owing to opposition from the residents, who fear loss of land, the digging of trenches to prevent elephants from venturing out of the forest area has been stopped. This, forest officials say, had left a 400-m gap in the trench network, through which wild elephants were spilling out. “This village is in the fringe of the forest, and they want to extend the area. They feel that by digging a trench, they cannot expand…they want the trench to be dug 300 feet inside the forest, which is not acceptable. Hopefully, a compromise can be reached,” said Manoj Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests (Kodagu) and in-charge director of the tiger reserve.
Rehabilitation
He said the fringe villages where small encroachments were routinely reported were “low priority” on the rehabilitation list. While some of the 1,700 families have consented, the process of building them a layout outside the park was taking time.
