300 acres of encroached land recovered in Karnataka’s Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary
Tumakuru: The Karnataka Forest Department recovered 300 acres of the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary at Tiptur sub division in Sira Taluk, Tumkur district. The restored area, located in Survey No. 46 of Muthugadahalli Ambarpur, was declared as forest land in 1926 under the Forest Rights Act.
According to forest department records, as cited by The New Indian Express on Friday, this marks one of the largest recovery of forest land in recent years.
While 120 acres were recovered just last month from Kadugodi plantation—land reportedly worth over Rs 4,000 crore—this latest exercise in Bukkapatna stands out in scale. However, the record for the largest forest land recovery still remains with 600 acres reclaimed in Kolar in 2013, followed by 355 acres in Mallur in 2014.
V. Yedukondalu, Conservator of Forests, revealed that the land had been illegally granted by revenue officials to villagers over the past 30 years. Although no residential structures were present, agricultural activities such as the cultivation of coconut, cotton, arecanut, cowpea, and other crops had been ongoing for years.
“Following the recently issued Lokayukta directives and Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court orders, we asked the revenue department officials of the division to cancel the illegal records, and 64(A) proceedings were initiated (under Section 64(A) of the Karnataka Forest Act of 1963, and the eviction notice is issued to people illegally occupying land before recovering the land). Documents that we obtained showed that most of the land was illegally occupied, and on Thursday, the entire land parcel was recovered,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Forest department officials mentioned that the exercise of digging pits to lay trenches and undertake plantations suitable for blackbucks has started.
“There are many more land parcels around the forest division that are also being recovered. The exercise has started,” Yedukondalu added.
The sanctuary (also known as the Black Buck Sanctuary) is spread across 36,000 acres and includes three reserve forests. It was notified in 2019 as a measure to protect the chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in their natural habitat of the dry thorny scrub forest, which faced the threat of excessive grazing. Apart from Chinkaras, the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary is home to black bucks, four-horned antelope, sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, and Indian wolf.
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Karnataka: College student dies by suicide in Dharwad, 3 policemen suspended
Dharwad (Karnataka) (PTI): A college student allegedly died by suicide here, following which three policemen were suspended over allegations of harassment linked to his death by the victim's family.
Aditya Myageri, a BSc student at a private college here, was among 18 students detained by the Vidyagiri police on April 25 during an anti-drug drive, police said on Wednesday.
He hailed from Belur village in Bagalkot district, but was staying with his friends at a rented accommodation in Girinagar area of Dharwad city, police said.
Among the 18 students tested, Aditya was among the 10 who had tested negative for ganja consumption and was subsequently released.
Some of his roommates, however, tested positive.
According to police, Aditya's family alleged that despite testing negative, he was harassed by police. They also claimed some policemen demanded Rs 2,000 to settle the matter and threatened legal action if he failed to pay.
He had called his mother asking for money, but she could not arrange it immediately, the family claimed.
On Monday night, Aditya allegedly died by suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented accommodation, with his family alleging police harassment and pressure over demand for money drove him to the extreme step, a senior police officer said.
Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar told PTI that an unnatural death case has been registered at Vidyagiri police station. Three policemen have been suspended over the allegations, and further investigation is underway.
