Karnataka minister Eshwar Khandre orders formation of task force to clear forest encroachments

“Though there are hundred years of land records with the Karnataka Forest Department, forest areas are being encroached. Even small-scale changes in the forest landscape can have an adverse impact on ecology. The areas declared forests several years ago have to be protected scientifically. It has been seen that eviction of encroachers is halted due to legal cases. Forest encroachment is huge and if the problem is thoroughly examined, it is found that the department at various levels is not committed to resolving encroachment eviction cases legally and taking them to the logical end,” the minister said in the letter to Akhtar.

He mentioned that the forest department is coordinating with the revenue department. “It is the responsibility of the forest department to develop, preserve and scientifically manage the designated forest areas and free them from encroachment for future generations,” Khandre said.

“It will be appropriate to create a state-level task force and a separate task force for the Bengaluru Urban district to clear all types of encroachment cases and settle the pending encroachment eviction cases at various levels of the courts. A task force headed by a senior forest department officer should have officials/experts from the revenue, home, urban development, rural development and panchayati raj departments and other relevant departments,” he said, adding that government lawyers should be provided with relevant land records and satellite maps to settle encroachment cases.

According to the Annual Report 2022-23 of the Karnataka Forest Department, the state witnesses over 1,000 cases of forest encroachment every year. From April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, the forest department registered 992 encroachment cases.

According to the report, till March 31 this year, over 45 071 encroachment cases have piled up before the forest department. However, only 463 cases were disposed of by the forest department between April 2022 and March 2023, and 44,608 are pending disposal.

Out of 16,988 acres of the total forest land in Bengaluru Urban district, 2,871.37 acres is encroached, Khandre informed the Legislative Council in July.