The Karnataka Government has decided to order closure of all private commercial resorts located in the vicinity of wildlife sanctuaries in the state to curb harmful effects on forests and wildlife.

PANJIM: Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya said on Wednesday that all 42 mining leases, which were issued show cause notices for illegal condonation of delay last month, have filed their replies and a decision with regard to the status of the condonations would be taken by end of this month. Acharya also said that the decision pertaining to illegal encroachments, as identified in Justice MB Shah Commission Report, would be also taken by Oct-end.

State government, on September 10 had issued show cause notices to 42 mining firms, returnable by October 10, to explain why action should not be initiated against them for unlawful condonation of delay and why they should not be declared as null and void.

Kerala-based IPS officer’s wife accused of encroaching and illegally felling trees in Kodagu

The Forest department has requested the Advocate General to file a memo before the High Court to refer the case of encroachment of 151.03 acres of land at Kopatti village in the Patti Ghat reserve forest in Kodagu district to the Green Bench. The department has been making futile efforts for the last 19 years to the retrieve the land from the wife of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Kerala. Referring the case to the Green Bench is expected to expedite the case.

Growing public outcry over illegalities in leases cited in Commission report

The Goa government on Monday suspended the operation of all existing mining leases with effect from Tuesday. This has been done to scrutinise clearances obtained by the leaseholders and not to allow continuation of operations without verification of requisite approvals in the coming mining season. The action comes in the wake of the growing public outcry over the illegalities in the mining sector as brought out by the Justice M. B. Shah Commission of Inquiry in its report, which was tabled in Parliament last week.

The Committee discussed various issues for preservation of the State's ecology and measures taken for the purpose. It divulged upon the matter like protection of forests, forest encroachments, conservation of wetlands and water bodies, fish deaths in Nigeen Lake and non implementation of ban on polythene and other related issues.

The Committee was informed that the State has total 20230 square kilometers area under forests out of which 13360Sq Km area is under encroachment and Forest Department has taken an initiative by which 720sq kms have been evicted.

It may lead to illegal grabbing of government land: communiqué

Governor H.R. Bhardwaj has returned the Karnataka Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2012 to the State government on the grounds that the “policy of regularisation of encroachment of government land directly encouraged illegal occupation of government land.” According to a communiqué from the Raj Bhavan, the amendment to the Bill sought to substitute the existing section 94C of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 with certain modifications.

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.