Kasturirangan Report: Demand for relief package for affected villages in Karnataka

Bengaluru: In a significant meeting held on Thursday, the Karnataka government discussed the implementation of the Kasturi Rangan report on eco-sensitive zones in the Western Ghats with the representatives from the affected districts.

The government has already protected 16,114 square kilometers of environmentally sensitive forest area, and the Kasturirangan report can be accepted within this limit. Additionally, the government should announce a special package for affected areas, as suggested by the Minister of Forests, Biology, and Environment, Eshwar Khandre.

Regarding the environmentally sensitive areas of the Western Ghats, the central government issued the 6th notification on August 2. The state government must submit its stance to the center by the end of this month (by September 27). In light of this, a meeting was held with representatives from 11 affected districts.

Special Package Demand

After the meeting, Minister Eshwar Khandre addressed a press conference, stating that even if the existing area of 16,114 square kilometers is approved, the livelihoods of people from 1,576 villages within this region will be adversely affected. He recommended that the central government announce a special package. He expressed hope that, after discussions in the cabinet sub-committee meeting and with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s involvement, the issue can be resolved through a middle ground.

Currently, 16,114 square kilometers of environmentally sensitive area have already been designated in the state. Increasing this limit would make life difficult for people living on the forest fringes. Hence, several representatives have suggested that the buffer zone should be reduced to zero. If we agree to the current limit of 16,114 square kilometers, the buffer zone will be set to zero. However, the Kasturirangan Committee report has identified 20,668 square kilometers of environmentally sensitive area in the state. It is believed that if a physical survey is conducted, this area could increase further. The government will review this matter, the minister added.

‘Displacement of People is Unnecessary’

There was a collective opinion during the meeting that displacing people who have been living in forest areas for generations is not appropriate. It was noted that even if these people are resettled elsewhere, they may not be willing to relocate. Hence, during the cabinet sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, a thorough discussion will be held on all these aspects. It was also suggested that a re-survey should be conducted, and if necessary, an all-party delegation will be taken to the central government, said minister Khandre.

“A re-survey must be conducted before the implementation of the Kasturi Rangan report. If the report is enforced, it will become difficult to carry out agricultural activities on patta land. Under no circumstances should the report be accepted in its current form. A delegation should be taken to the central government in this regard, and lawyers should be appointed to present the state’s case in the Supreme Court.” — V. Sunil Kumar, Former Minister.

“In addition to forests, people also inhabit these areas. It is because of the people living on the forest fringes and within the forests that forest land has been preserved. If this report is implemented, life for these people will become extremely difficult.” — Araga Jnanendra, Former Minister.