For over two decades, the State Forest Department is mulling over the creation of a wildlife sanctuary in Kodaikanal hills. Yet, the task has not been accomplished.

The 14th Legislative Assembly’s Petitions Committee says in a report: “The committee asks the forest department to take steps to carve out a wildlife sanctuary in forest ranges in and around Kodaikanal. It recommends the passing of an order to this effect immediately.”

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered a probe into alleged involvement of politicians in widespread bushfires in peat swamp forests in Nakhon Si Thammarat and other provinces.

Members say it will help ganja cultivators, encourage poaching

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court on August 7 rejected a proposal cleared by the Tamil Nadu Government for laying a road connecting Karumbarai in Theni Forest Division with the grizzled giant squirrel sanctuary near Watrap in Virudhunagar district. According to Ministry of Environment and Forests sources, the CEC, after inspecting the areas in Theni and the sanctuary on June 13, held public hearing on four occasions. The last one was on August 7, at which it announced the rejection of the proposal.

Jonai: Pobha Reserve Forest, situated on the outskirts of Jonai town is the lone reserve forest in the Jonai sub-division under Dhemaji Forest Division, which is on the verge of decline.

The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the State government to immediately provide security to Veerendra Patil, an advocate hailing from Talaguppa village in Soraba taluk of Shimoga district, who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition complaining about the encroachment of about 400 acres of forest land.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Aravind Kumar issued oral direction in this regard when Mr. Patil moved an application complaining that encroachers had attacked his family members and had caused extensive damage to their property on August 5.

The government has declared seven more taluks as drought-hit in the State. With this, the total number of drought-hit taluks has gone up to 149. Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa told mediapersons here on Sunday that as many as 123 taluks were declared drought-hit in the first phase, followed by 19 more taluks in the second phase.

Now, Sagar, Sorab, Joida, Haliyal, Mundagod, Belgaum and Khanapur had been added to the list. On Union ministers Sharad Pawar and Jairam Ramesh’s visit to Bangalore to take stock of drought situation, Eshwarappa said: “They have failed to meet our demands and their apathy disappointed us.

Former Forest Minister Benoy Viswam alleged that the UDF government is facilitating the encroachment of forest land. “The UDF is trying to override the Ecologically Fragile Land Act 2011,” said Viswam at a press conference here on Saturday. The CPI leader opined that the government should hire legal experts to safeguard the law.

“If the government is not going to put up a good fight, then the state will lose the ownership of the land leased out to private parties. The encroachers have ensured the services of eminent lawyers from outside the state,” said Viswam.

Station director of Akashavani lauds role of radio in imparting awareness among masses

Former secretary to forest and environment department A N Yellappa Reddy said, including Western Ghats to UNESCO’s world heritage list would be apt, as most of the forest is already destroyed in the name of progress. He was speaking at an interaction programme on ‘role of media in developmental process’ here on Tuesday. He said, encroaching forest land for the purpose is not development. Among 45,000 applications pending at the Centre for permission for mining, 19,000 belongs to Karnataka.

Maruthi Power Gen diverted from original plan, says PCCF report

The Maruthi Power Gen (India) Private Limited which is setting up a mini hydel project near Hongadahalla in Sakaleshpur has tried to mislead the High Court on the extent of the project site, according to a report of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. The High Court on June 18 directed the Forest Department to take a decision on cancelling the land lease of the private agency for alleged violation of green norms.