Madhu Bangarappa warns forest officials against forceful eviction of farmers citing court orders
Shivamogga: School Education and District In-charge Minister Madhu Bangarappa has instructed forest department officials not to forcibly evict farmers cultivating forest lands on the pretext of court orders. He warned that any harassment or assault on farmers during eviction drives would invite strict government action against the officials involved.
The minister was chairing a progress review meeting of the Forest, Public Works, KRIDL, and Irrigation departments at the District Administrative Office on Saturday.
Bangarappa said that many farmers have been cultivating forest land for generations, and their cases must be dealt with as per Supreme Court guidelines. “Do not issue unnecessary notices or use the court order as an excuse to trouble or evict them,” he told forest officials.
He further directed that new encroachments must not be allowed, but the government should take steps to regularise encroachments made before April 27, 1978. He asked officials to submit a report on the measures taken to exclude legally granted agricultural and residential lands from the proposed forest inclusion list.
“No arbitrary action against farmers will be tolerated,” the minister said, reiterating that the forest department should act within the framework of justice and compassion.
MLA Ayanur Manjunath demanded that officers provide written, document-based explanations regarding their actions. MLA Gopalakrishna Belur pointed out that notices are being served to farmers in parts of Malnad and urged the government to stop such harassment.
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Hanumanthappa clarified that cases classified under PF and MF fall under minor forest categories and can be settled locally. He said 375 notifications have already been issued in this regard.
Speaking on irrigation works, Bangarappa instructed officials to begin construction of bridge-cum-barrages across the Gudavi, Yadagoppa, Dandavati, and Varada rivers in Sorab taluk at a cost of Rs 160 crore. He also urged them to take up culvert and minor bridge projects without delay. “Better coordination between departments will help speed up the work,” he added.
The minister reviewed the progress of regularising houses in declared slum areas across the district. He instructed officials to issue property rights for houses in rural slums and provide Form 94C and 94CC certificates for homes located in urban slums.
Municipal Commissioner Mayannagowda informed the meeting that 9,000 applications had been sent for regularising houses of poor families who have been living for over 40 years on municipal land within Shivamogga city limits.
District officials, including Deputy Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Zilla Panchayat CEO Hemant Kumar N, CCF Hanumanthappa, and DCF Prasanna Kumar Patagar, attended the meeting.
It was also revealed that Shivamogga ranks sixth in the state in the ongoing social, educational, and economic survey, with 96% of the work completed. Around 8,000 urban households and 15,000 rural households are yet to be surveyed. After completion, grievances related to Sharavathi rehabilitation will be addressed, followed by a review of reserved forest areas in December.
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Maldivian military diver dead while searching for bodies of four Italian divers
Colombo (AP): A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave.
The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres.
Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said that Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti's body was recovered on Thursday.
Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said in a statement Friday. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately,” it said.
The statement also said the two other victims — student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri — were not involved in the scientific mission.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.
Experts say it's easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.
Shareef said Benedetti's body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe. Italy's embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honourary consul are in contact with the victims' families to provide assistance.
